Columbus Horizon
Encyclopedia
The Columbus Horizon is a defunct basketball
team from Columbus, Ohio
that played for five seasons in the Continental Basketball Association
from 1989 - 1994.
and was able attract Pensacola veterans Gary Youmans and Tim Sise to Columbus as coach and General Manager respectively. Jacobsen was also a member of the league's Expansion and Rules Committees. Jacobsen told the press conference that the Horizon would become involved in the Central Ohio community and said the economic impact on Columbus would be to the tune $3–$4 million generated back into the city each year. CBA Commissioner Jay Ramsdell
said Columbus had all the elements to be a winning CBA franchise. Despite the team bearing the name Columbus, team officials said they wanted the franchise to become a hometown favorite throughout the entire Central Ohio area. The Houston Rockets
agreed to be the club's NBA affiliate.
plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa
on July 19, 1989. A close friend of Eli Jacobsen, he was instrumental in laying the groundwork which eventually led to the granting of a CBA franchise for Columbus.
, was an Ashland College graduate. Tim Sise, who had worked with Youmans as part of the Pensacola Tornados
franchise, was appointed General Manager.
In preparing for their inaugural season, the Horizon looked to secure the services of a local college hoops star by making them their first round draft pick.
Jay Burson
, who at that time was the leading scorer in Ohio high school history, had suffered a fractured cervical vertebra in a collision with an
Iowa player while playing for Ohio State. Despite being drafted by the Horizon, Burson signed a three-year contract with the Houston Rockets
of the NBA saying he would not play for Columbus. However, after being released by Houston and clearing waivers in October 1989, he decided to sign with the Horizon.
Burson wasn't signed just to sell tickets, Horizon coach Gary Youmans said. "We want Jay as a player, not as a drawing card. He might attract some fans but we want him so we can win ballgames."
In 34 games with the Horizon in the 1989-90 season, Burson averaged 13.6 points a game.
Also among the team's first signings was another local college product Eric Newsome, a 5-foot-8 guard from Toledo, who was, at that time, second on Miami University
's career scoring list.
The new team's first game came at home to Santa Barbara on November 14, 1989. Columbus lost 123-113 in what was both their and Santa Barabara's CBA debut.
The remainder of the season proved difficult for the fledgling franchise.
In January 1990, the Horizon were forced to change coaches after Gary Youmans resigned due to ill health. He was replaced by Bill Klucas, a former newspaper sports editor turned basketball coach. Klucas was unable to change the fortunes of the new team, which finished fourth out of four teams in its division with a record of 18 wins and 38 defeats.
The games featured play-by-play commentary by Mike Gleason
a former letterman and graduate of Central Michigan University
. Joining Gleason to handle color commentary was Columbus-born former NBA and ABA
player Larry Jones
.
All games, both home and away, were carried on radio on WCOL AM
with play-by-play duties handled by veteran broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald
. Home games were televised live on WCLS-TV 62, whose studios were also located in the Ohio Center, two floors below Battelle Hall.
In 1990-91 the Horizon finished bottom of the National Conference Eastern Division with a 23-33 record.
Vince Chickerella, winner of more than 400 games in a lengthy career at Linden McKinley, DeSales and Hilliard high schools in Central Ohio, was named as the new head coach in April 1991. Chickerella was chosen from a field of more than 100 applicants, which included seven NBA assistants, several CBA head coaches and many NCAA Division I assistants. In his first season, the Horizon, now a member of the American Conference Eastern Division, won just 18 times in a 56-game season and again finished dead last.
The Horizon had selected Kermit Holmes of Oklahoma
as its first round draft pick in 1991.
Chickerella resigned in January 1992 and was replaced by Fred Bryan, a former coach and general manager of the Pensacola Tornados.
Before the 92-93 season began, however, former Michigan
All-American Cazzie Russell, who had coached for seven seasons in the CBA was signed as coach.
The team improved slightly to lift itself off the foot of the division, but still finished 92-93 with a losing record of 21-35. Their record was only marginally better than the 20-36 Fort Wayne Fury
.
In 1993 Mitchell Butler
from UCLA
was selected as Columbus' first round draft pick, but the 6' 5" shooting guard instead chose to sign undrafted with the Washington Bullets of the NBA.
The Horizon slumped back into last place by the 93-94 season, again managing just 18 wins.
. It was also reported that the franchise had lost $2.5 million in Columbus and had a debt of about $1 million. The franchise departed Columbus and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana
for the 1994-95 season.
In both 1991 and 1992, Horizon players won the CBA Long Distance Shootout. Barry Stevens won in 91 and Duane Washington a year later.
Ricky Galloway, who helped Indiana
win the national championship
in 1987, was suspended by the Horizon because he failed two CBA drug tests.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team from Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
that played for five seasons in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
from 1989 - 1994.
New team on the horizon
Plans to bring professional basketball to Columbus were unveiled in September 1988 and the Horizon began playing in November 1989 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds Coliseum, where the franchise had a five-year lease. Owner Eli Jacobson had previously owned the Pensacola TornadosPensacola Tornados
The Pensacola Tornados were a basketball team that played in Pensacola, Florida in the Continental Basketball Association from 1985-1991.-1985-1986 Season:...
and was able attract Pensacola veterans Gary Youmans and Tim Sise to Columbus as coach and General Manager respectively. Jacobsen was also a member of the league's Expansion and Rules Committees. Jacobsen told the press conference that the Horizon would become involved in the Central Ohio community and said the economic impact on Columbus would be to the tune $3–$4 million generated back into the city each year. CBA Commissioner Jay Ramsdell
Jay Ramsdell
Jay Ramsdell was the Commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association , a professional men's basketball league in the United States, from 1988 until his death.-Maine Lumberjacks:...
said Columbus had all the elements to be a winning CBA franchise. Despite the team bearing the name Columbus, team officials said they wanted the franchise to become a hometown favorite throughout the entire Central Ohio area. The Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
agreed to be the club's NBA affiliate.
Death of Jay Ramsdell
Jay Ransdell was on his way from the CBA league office in Denver, Colorado to Columbus for the 1989 College Player Draft when his United Airlines Flight 232United Airlines Flight 232
United Airlines Flight 232 was a scheduled flight from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, with continuing service to Philadelphia International Airport...
plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
on July 19, 1989. A close friend of Eli Jacobsen, he was instrumental in laying the groundwork which eventually led to the granting of a CBA franchise for Columbus.
The first season
The Horizon was placed in the four-team National Conference Eastern Division by the CBA. Veteran CBA coach Gary Youmans was put in charge. Youmans, who previously coached the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets and was general manager of the Tampa Bay ThrillersTampa Bay Thrillers
The Tampa Bay Thrillers were a franchise in the Continental Basketball Association from 1984–1987, winning back-to-back championships in 1984 and 1985...
, was an Ashland College graduate. Tim Sise, who had worked with Youmans as part of the Pensacola Tornados
Pensacola Tornados
The Pensacola Tornados were a basketball team that played in Pensacola, Florida in the Continental Basketball Association from 1985-1991.-1985-1986 Season:...
franchise, was appointed General Manager.
In preparing for their inaugural season, the Horizon looked to secure the services of a local college hoops star by making them their first round draft pick.
Jay Burson
Jay Burson
Jay Burson was a college basketball player at The Ohio State University and former player in the Continental Basketball Association.-High School:Jay Burson attended John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio from 1981-85...
, who at that time was the leading scorer in Ohio high school history, had suffered a fractured cervical vertebra in a collision with an
Iowa player while playing for Ohio State. Despite being drafted by the Horizon, Burson signed a three-year contract with the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
of the NBA saying he would not play for Columbus. However, after being released by Houston and clearing waivers in October 1989, he decided to sign with the Horizon.
Burson wasn't signed just to sell tickets, Horizon coach Gary Youmans said. "We want Jay as a player, not as a drawing card. He might attract some fans but we want him so we can win ballgames."
In 34 games with the Horizon in the 1989-90 season, Burson averaged 13.6 points a game.
Also among the team's first signings was another local college product Eric Newsome, a 5-foot-8 guard from Toledo, who was, at that time, second on Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
's career scoring list.
The new team's first game came at home to Santa Barbara on November 14, 1989. Columbus lost 123-113 in what was both their and Santa Barabara's CBA debut.
The remainder of the season proved difficult for the fledgling franchise.
In January 1990, the Horizon were forced to change coaches after Gary Youmans resigned due to ill health. He was replaced by Bill Klucas, a former newspaper sports editor turned basketball coach. Klucas was unable to change the fortunes of the new team, which finished fourth out of four teams in its division with a record of 18 wins and 38 defeats.
TV and radio coverage
In their first season of play, the Horizon had a number of their games on television throughout the Central Ohio area.The games featured play-by-play commentary by Mike Gleason
Mike Gleason
Mike Gleason is an ESPN anchor, who appears primarily on ESPNU and ESPN Classic. Before joining ESPN, Gleason worked for WBNS-AM in Columbus, Ohio, from 1994-96 as a show host and doing play-by-play. He also worked at WBNS-TV in Columbus from 1987-98 as an anchor and handling a variety of...
a former letterman and graduate of Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
. Joining Gleason to handle color commentary was Columbus-born former NBA and ABA
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
player Larry Jones
Larry Jones
Larry Jones is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the NBA and ABA, from 1964 to 1974....
.
All games, both home and away, were carried on radio on WCOL AM
WCOL-FM
WCOL-FM is a country music radio station in Columbus, Ohio owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its brand identifier is Continuous Country Favorites, 92.3 WCOL. The call sign represents the city of license...
with play-by-play duties handled by veteran broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald
Bob Fitzgerald
Bob Fitzgerald is a TV play-by-play voice for the Golden State Warriors and San Jose SaberCats on CSN Bay Area, and is a co-host of the show Fitz and Brooks on KNBR with co-host Rod Brooks.-Education:...
. Home games were televised live on WCLS-TV 62, whose studios were also located in the Ohio Center, two floors below Battelle Hall.
Later seasons
The Horizon spent just four more years in the CBA, finishing in last place in three of those seasons.In 1990-91 the Horizon finished bottom of the National Conference Eastern Division with a 23-33 record.
Vince Chickerella, winner of more than 400 games in a lengthy career at Linden McKinley, DeSales and Hilliard high schools in Central Ohio, was named as the new head coach in April 1991. Chickerella was chosen from a field of more than 100 applicants, which included seven NBA assistants, several CBA head coaches and many NCAA Division I assistants. In his first season, the Horizon, now a member of the American Conference Eastern Division, won just 18 times in a 56-game season and again finished dead last.
The Horizon had selected Kermit Holmes of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
as its first round draft pick in 1991.
Chickerella resigned in January 1992 and was replaced by Fred Bryan, a former coach and general manager of the Pensacola Tornados.
Before the 92-93 season began, however, former Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
All-American Cazzie Russell, who had coached for seven seasons in the CBA was signed as coach.
The team improved slightly to lift itself off the foot of the division, but still finished 92-93 with a losing record of 21-35. Their record was only marginally better than the 20-36 Fort Wayne Fury
Fort Wayne Fury
The Fort Wayne Fury was a team in the Continental Basketball Association from 1991 through the cessation of the CBA on February 8, 2001.-History:...
.
In 1993 Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Leon Butler is a retired American professional basketball player most notable for playing in the NBA from 1993 to 2004....
from UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
was selected as Columbus' first round draft pick, but the 6' 5" shooting guard instead chose to sign undrafted with the Washington Bullets of the NBA.
The Horizon slumped back into last place by the 93-94 season, again managing just 18 wins.
Year-by-year record
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Won | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989/90 | National Conference | 4th, Eastern | Did not qualify | 18 | 38 |
| 1990/91 | National Conference | 4th, Eastern | Did not qualify | 23 | 33 |
| 1991/92 | American Conference | 4th, Eastern | Did not qualify | 18 | 38 |
| 1992/93 | American Conference | 3rd, Eastern | Did not qualify | 21 | 35 |
| 1993/94 | American Conference | 4th, Eastern | Did not qualify | 18 | 38 |
Demise
Facing weak business support and the lowest average attendance per game in the entire CBA (at Battelle Hall), the Horizon announced in March 1994 that it would leave town. The Horizon had averaged 2,600 fans in its first two seasons, 2,900 in its third season but that dropped to 1,700 in the 6,800-seat Battelle HallBattelle Hall
Battelle Hall is a 6,864 seat multi-purpose exhibit hall located in Columbus, Ohio, part of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. It opened as the Ohio Center on September 10, 1980, and although sometimes considered a white elephant because of its small size and seating capacity Battelle Hall is...
. It was also reported that the franchise had lost $2.5 million in Columbus and had a debt of about $1 million. The franchise departed Columbus and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
for the 1994-95 season.
Miscellaneous
Twice in the franchise's history did a player score 50 or more points in a single game. Steve Harris scored 54 against the LaCrosse Catbirds on January 7, 1990 while Kevin Williams scored 50 in a home game against the Pensacola Tornados just weeks later on February 28, 1990.In both 1991 and 1992, Horizon players won the CBA Long Distance Shootout. Barry Stevens won in 91 and Duane Washington a year later.
Ricky Galloway, who helped Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
win the national championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1987, was suspended by the Horizon because he failed two CBA drug tests.
Past players
|
Bill Martin (basketball) William Martin is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'7" 205 lb forward and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1981–85.... Brian Martin (basketball) Brian Martin is an American former professional basketball player, who had a brief career in the NBA. He attended Hutchinson Community College and the University of Kansas.... Craig Neal Craig Duane Neal is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 3rd round of the 1988 NBA Draft.-High school:... Kelvin Ransey Kelvin Ransey is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player of the 1970s and 1980s, respectively.Ransey attended Toledo's Macomber High School in the mid 1970s... Duane Washington Duane E. Washington is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is the older brother of current Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher.... |
Past coaches
- Gary Youmans
- Bill Klucas
- Vincent Chickerella
- Fred Bryan
- Cazzie Russell
See also
- Continental Basketball AssociationContinental Basketball AssociationThe Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
- Continental Basketball Association franchise historyContinental Basketball Association franchise historyThis is a year-by-year list of franchises in the Continental Basketball Association, along with its incarnations as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and Eastern Basketball Association.-1946-47:...
- List of Continental Basketball Association Champions
- List of Continental Basketball Association MVPs and notable alumni