Walker Horn's first career college points sent Rupp Arena into a frenzy

A walk-on who joined the Kentucky men’s basketball roster ahead of the 2022-23 season, Walker Horn has rarely received any public credit for the work he does behind the scenes. But the end of Wednesday night’s victory over Tennessee Tech was all about the Texas native.

Horn, along with fellow walk-on Zach Tow, checked into Kentucky’s 104-54 win against Tennessee Tech with 1:49 left in regulation. This was Horn’s 18th appearance in a game since joining the Wildcats years ago, but he’d never found the bottom of the net in five career shot attempts — that changed about 30 seconds later.

With just a second on the shot clock and 1:22 on the game clock, Horn caught an inbounds pass from Kam Williams, contorted his body into a tough fadeaway angle, and fired up a shot that hit nothing but net as the Kentucky bench and all of Rupp Arena celebrated as if this were a Final Four game-winner. All Horn could do was laugh it off as he trotted down the court.

If this doesn’t put a smile on your face, nothing will.

WALKER HORN GAME MVP

FIRST CAREER POINTS pic.twitter.com/aJwgFvUhEK

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) November 27, 2025

.@walkerhorn_ AT THE BUZZER FOR HIS FIRST CAREER POINT.

📺 – SEC Network pic.twitter.com/2pfzdWcStS

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) November 27, 2025

Now a college senior, Horn goes through the same practices and the same team-wide process as the rest of the guys who do see the court. He deserved the chance to have everyone cheering him on. But let’s not forget about Tow, either. The Madisonville native, now in year two with the Wildcats, hit a free throw for his first career college point.

“Shout out to them guys,” Denzel Aberdeen said on postgame radio. “They come each and every day in practice with a smile, even if they’re not doing much or if they’re running scout team, they always going hard each and every time.”

Especially with how slow Kentucky started to begin this game, it was fun to see it end with so much joy.