Ben Hunt (basketball)

Last updated

Ben Hunt
Personal information
Born (1978-06-06) 6 June 1978 (age 44)
Bendigo, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Listed height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight82 kg (181 lb)
Career information
High school Bendigo Senior Secondary College
(Bendigo, Victoria)
College
NBA draft 2006 / Undrafted
Playing career1994–2008
Position Point guard
Career history
1994–2001 Bendigo Braves
2003Bendigo Braves
2004 Ballarat Miners
2006–2008 Perth Wildcats
2007–2008 Willetton Tigers
Career highlights and awards
  • SBL All Star Second Team (2007)
  • SBL All Star Third Team (2008)
  • 2× All-SEABL South Team (2000, 2001)
  • SEABL South Youth Player of the Year (2000)
  • NAIA D1 National Tournament winner (2006)
  • NAIA D1 All-Tournament Team (2006)
  • Second-team NAIA D1 All-American (2006)
  • RRAC Co-Player of the Year (2006)
  • 2× First-team All-RRAC (2005, 2006)

Ben Hunt (born 6 June 1978) is an Australian former professional basketball player. He began his basketball career in the SEABL with the Bendigo Braves before playing four years of college basketball in the United States. He then had a two-year stint in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Perth Wildcats.

Contents

Early life and career

Hunt was born in Bendigo, Victoria, and attended Bendigo Senior Secondary College. [1] He made his debut for the Bendigo Braves in the SEABL in 1994. [2] He played every year for the Braves until 2001. [2] He earned All-SEABL South Conference Team honours in 2000 and 2001, and was named the SEABL South Conference Youth Player of the Year in 2000. [3]

College career

Between 2001 and 2003, Hunt played Division I college basketball in the United States for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. [4] In 57 games over two seasons, he averaged 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. [5]

Hunt returned to Australia in 2003 and played a ninth season for the Braves. [2] In 2004, he left the Braves and played the SEABL season with the Ballarat Miners. [2]

Hunt returned to the United States in 2004 to play his final two college seasons at Texas Wesleyan University of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). With the Rams, Hunt earned first-team All-RRAC in both 2004–05 and 2005–06, to go with winning Co-Player of the Year in 2005–06. He was also second-team All-American, All-NAIA National Tournament and Texas Wesleyan Athlete of the Year in 2005–06. [6] He led the Rams to the 2006 NAIA Division 1 national championship, scoring a career-high 34 points and hitting the game winning shot in the title game. [7]

Professional career

In March 2006, Hunt had an unsuccessful trial with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. [8] He received another opportunity with the Mavericks in July 2006 when he joined the team for the NBA Summer League. [8]

Following his Summer League stint, Hunt returned to Australia and joined the Perth Wildcats for the 2006–07 NBL season. [9] In his rookie season, he averaged 3.6 points in 30 games. [10] He remained in Perth during the 2007 off-season and played for the Willetton Tigers in the State Basketball League (SBL), where he earned SBL All Star Second Team honours. [11] With the Wildcats in 2007–08, he averaged 4.3 points in 31 games. [10] A point guard for his entire career, Hunt took on the challenge of shooting guard during his second season with the Wildcats. [12] Following the NBL season, he re-joined the Willetton Tigers for the SBL season, where he earned SBL All Star Third Team honours. [13]

National team career

In 2005, Hunt played for the Australian University National Team at the Summer Universiade in İzmir, Turkey. He scored a game-high 28 points in a quarter-final loss to the United States. [14]

Personal life

Hunt is the son of Peter and Ricki, and he has an older brother, Josh. [12] Hunt is married to wife Erin. [12]

Related Research Articles

Brent Hobba is an Australian former basketball player who played three seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). He also had a long career in the Australian state leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Redhage</span> American-Australian basketball player

Shawn Michael Redhage is an American-Australian former professional basketball player who is most known for his 12 seasons played with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played four years of college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils before moving to Australia in 2004 to play professionally. After spending time in the SEABL and with the New Zealand Breakers, Redhage joined the Wildcats in 2005 and went on to become one of the franchise's all-time great players.

Kelly Louise Wilson is an Australian professional basketball player for the Canberra Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

Samuel James Harris is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played 10 seasons in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and spent two seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). At 221 cm, he is the tallest player ever to play in the NBL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Tovey</span> Australian basketball player

Cameron Heath Tovey is an Australian former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). While born in Malaysia, Tovey grew up in Perth and has always called Western Australia home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Purser</span> Australian basketball player

Ben Purser is an Australian basketball player for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West. He debuted for the Hawks in 2008 in the State Basketball League (SBL) and helped them win an SBL championship in 2018 with grand final MVP honours. He won a second championship with the Hawks in 2021 in the first season of the NBL1 West. He was named to the All-SBL First Team in 2018 and the SBL All-Defensive Five every year between 2016 and 2019. He was also the league's Most Improved Player in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathiang Muo</span> Australian-Sudanese basketball player

Mathiang Mauot Muo is an Australian-South Sudanese professional basketball player for the Joondalup Wolves of the NBL1 West. He played four seasons of college basketball in the United States between 2009 and 2013 before joining the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He was a member of the Wildcats' 2014 championship-winning team but managed just 15 games over two seasons due to injury. Since parting ways with the Wildcats, Muo has had a successful state league career, playing in the SBL, SEABL, NBL1 and Queensland State League (QSL). He won an SBL championship with the East Perth Eagles in 2014 and a SEABL championship with the Hobart Chargers in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nunawading Spectres</span> Melbourne-based basketball club

Nunawading Spectres is a NBL1 South club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Melbourne East Basketball Association (MEBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Spectres play their home games at Nunawading Basketball Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Turner (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Ray Lee Turner is an American professional basketball player for the Mandurah Magic of the NBL1 West. He played college basketball for Texas A&M University before playing professionally in Cyprus, Australia, Japan and Hungary. During his first two years in Australia, Turner won a QBL championship with the Rockhampton Rockets and was named the SBL Most Valuable Player with the Perth Redbacks.

Shane McDonald is an Australian former professional basketball player. He had four stints in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Singapore Slingers, Perth Wildcats, Melbourne Tigers and New Zealand Breakers. The majority of his career was spent in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) for the Nunawading Spectres, winning a championship in 2011 and league MVP honours in 2013. In his final season, he helped the Spectres win the 2019 NBL1 championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corban Wroe</span> Australian basketball player

Corban Joel Wroe is an Australian basketball player who last played for the Warwick Senators of the NBL1 West. He played four seasons of college basketball in the United States for the Hartford Hawks before spending two seasons as a development player with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). Early in his career, he was compared to fellow former Perth Wildcats guard Brad Robbins.

Jeremy Paul Kendle is an American professional basketball player for the Southland Sharks of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played three seasons of college basketball for Bellarmine University, becoming the only player in school history to be named to the NABC All-America Team two years in a row. He was also a key member of the Bellarmine Knights' 2011 championship-winning team, helping the school claim their first NCAA Division II National Championship.

Bradley Robbins is an Australian basketball coach and former player who is most known for his time spent in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Perth Wildcats. He currently serves as an assistant coach with the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonia Farnworth</span> New Zealand basketball player

Antonia "Toni" Farnworth is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Ringwood Hawks of the NBL1 South. She has spent most of her career playing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia and has been a long-time representative and captain of the New Zealand national team, the Tall Ferns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Vigor</span> Scottish-born Australian basketball player

Michael James Vigor is a Scottish-born Australian professional basketball player for the Willetton Tigers of the NBL1 West. He made his debut in the State Basketball League (SBL) for the Perth Redbacks in 2008 and in 2011 joined the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2011 as a development player. He won an NBL championship with the Wildcats in 2014 and sn SBL championship with the Redbacks in 2017. He played in Europe between 2015 and 2020, and in 2018 he represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Vague</span> Australian basketball player

Rhys Anthony Vague is an Australian professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He made his debut for his hometown Perth Wildcats in the NBL as a development player in 2014. After four seasons as a development player, he was elevated to a fully contracted player in 2018. In his six seasons with the Wildcats, he was a part of four championship teams in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Vague also made a name for himself in the State Basketball League (SBL), playing for the Cockburn Cougars, East Perth Eagles and Stirling Senators, earning the SBL's Most Improved Player in 2015. Between 2020 and 2023, he played in Japan for the Kagawa Five Arrows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin White (basketball)</span> Australian basketball player

Kevin David White is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Travers</span> Australian basketball player

Luke Jacob Travers is an Australian professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). Opting to forgo college basketball in the United States to begin his professional career in Australia, he made his debut for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL as a development player in 2019 and became an NBL champion in 2020. At state league level, he played three seasons for the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) between 2017 and 2019, and then had a stint with the Cockburn Cougars in 2020 during the West Coast Classic. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 56th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

Mitchell Clarke is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West. After playing his first five seasons with the Hawks, he had a season as a development player with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) before playing for the Bendigo Braves in the NBL1 South in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Nelson</span> Australian basketball player

Marshall Lance Nelson is an Australian-Belgian professional basketball player for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. Debuting in the State Basketball League (SBL) in 2014 for the Perth Redbacks, Nelson went on to play three seasons of college basketball in the United States and has played in Sweden and Iceland. He has had two stints in the National Basketball League (NBL), first with the Illawarra Hawks as a development player between 2017 and 2019 and then with the Cairns Taipans as an injury replacement during the 2021–22 season. He played his sixth season with the Redbacks in 2021 and helped them win the SBL championship in 2017. He holds a Belgian passport.

References

  1. ↑ "Ben Hunt". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Player statistics for Ben Hunt – SEABL". SportsTG.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "SEABL All Time Awards Winners" (PDF). seabl.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "'Jacks Sign Two More To Letters Of Intent". sfajacks.com. 25 April 2001. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Ben Hunt College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Award Winners". ramsports.net. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Ben Hunt '07 to be inducted to the Texas Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame, Nov. 1". txwes.edu. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Hunt to play in summer league with Dallas". bendigoadvertiser.com.au. 6 July 2006. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Hunt makes mark in NBL". bendigoadvertiser.com.au. 11 October 2006. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Player statistics for Ben Hunt – NBL". SportsTG.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "State Basketball League 2007 Awards" (PDF). SBL.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 "Ben keen to stay a Wildcat". bendigoadvertiser.com.au. 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "State Basketball League 2008 Awards" (PDF). SBL.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 April 2020.
  14. ↑ "GONZALEZ AND USA WUG TEAM STEAMROLL AUSTRALIA TO ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS". gojaspers.com. 18 August 2005. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Hunt, who played collegiately at Stephen F. Austin State University, connected on three 3-point field goals in the quarter and ended the game with a game-high 28 points.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.