No. 32–South Adelaide Panthers | |
---|---|
Position | Forward |
League | NBL1 Central |
Personal information | |
Born | Miami, Florida, U.S. | February 6, 1989
Nationality | American / Australian |
Listed height | 199 cm (6 ft 6 in) |
Listed weight | 99 kg (218 lb) |
Career information | |
High school | Killian (Miami, Florida) |
College |
|
NBA draft | 2011: undrafted |
Playing career | 2014–present |
Career history | |
2014 | Woodville Warriors |
2015 | Warrnambool Seahawks |
2016 | Southern Tigers |
2017–2019 | North Adelaide Rockets |
2021–present | South Adelaide Panthers |
2023–present | Adelaide 36ers |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Alexander Starling (born February 6, 1989) is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the South Adelaide Panthers of the NBL1 Central. He is also contracted with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Palm Beach State College and the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats before embarking on an Australian rules football career after being identified as an international prospect. He attempted to crack the ranks of the Australian Football League (AFL) between 2011 and 2014 before eventually returning to basketball and making a name for himself in the NBL1 Central in South Australia. He has won three NBL1 Central championships with three different teams and is a three-time league MVP winner. He debuted in the NBL in 2023 with the 36ers.
Starling was born in Miami, Florida. [1] He grew up in Richmond Heights and attended Leewood Elementary and Richmond Heights Middle School. [1]
Starling attended Miami Killian Senior High School. As a senior in 2006–07, he was named First Team All-Dade, Second Team All State, First Team All-District and Killian High School Male Athlete of the Year. He averaged 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. [2]
Starling played his first season of college basketball for Palm Beach State College, where he averaged 3.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 23 games in 2007–08. [3]
In April 2008, Starling signed a National Letter of Intent with Bethune–Cookman University. [2]
As a sophomore in 2008–09, Starling started in all 33 games he played for the Wildcats and averaged 7.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game. [4] He scored a season-high 18 points twice, first on debut and again in his seventh game. He had a season-high 15 rebounds in February 2009. [5]
As a junior in 2009–10, Starling again started in all 33 games he played and averaged 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 30.4 minutes per game. [4] [6] He had a career-high 28 points and 14 rebounds in the third game of the season. [7] [8]
As a senior in 2010–11, Starling again started in all 33 games he played and averaged 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game. [4] [9] He scored a season-high 19 points in December 2010. [10] He earned second-team All-MEAC honors [11] and helped the Wildcats win their first-ever MEAC championship. In his final home game, he stole an inbound pass and hit a bank shot with two seconds remaining in overtime against Florida A&M that secured Bethune-Cookman's first 20-win season since 1976–77. [12]
In 99 career games for the Wildcats, Starling averaged 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. [4] As of 2018, he was the seventh all-time leading rebounder in Wildcats history. [12]
In May 2011, Starling was introduced to Australian rules football when the Sydney Swans of the Australian Football League (AFL) identified him as an international prospect. The following month, he attended an AFL Draft Combine in Redondo Beach, California. [1] In August 2011, he travelled to Sydney, Australia, for a three-week testing period. [13]
In January 2012, Starling signed an international scholarship with the Sydney Swans. [13] [14] [15] It was reportedly a two-year, $180,000 contract. [16] The scholarship allowed him to finish his four-year degree in Business Administration at Bethune–Cookman University [1] while also making several trips to Sydney in 2012 to train with the Swans. [13] The plan was for Starling to be recruited to the Swans' senior list as an international rookie in 2013, [13] but a lingering stress fracture in one of his legs saw him part ways with the Swans. [16]
In December 2013, Starling moved to Melbourne to join the Frankston Football Club of the Victorian Football League (VFL). [17] After the deal fell through over the summer, he moved to Adelaide in January 2014 to train with the Port Adelaide Magpies of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL); their parent organisation, the Port Adelaide Football Club of the AFL, was considering Starling for an international rookie spot. [18] After several months training with Port, the club committed its international rookie spot to Irishman Daniel Flynn and wanted Starling to prove himself via the Magpies. Starling declined the offer and instead turned his attention back to basketball. [19]
In early 2014, Starling joined the Woodville Warriors of the South Australian Premier League and also began training with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL). [18] With Woodville, he averaged 20.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game [20] and helped the team win the championship behind his 36 points in the grand final against the West Adelaide Bearcats. [21] He earned grand final MVP, league MVP and All-Star Five honors. [20]
In 2015, Starling played for the Warrnambool Seahawks of the Big V Division One. [20] He averaged 21.6 points and 12.7 rebounds to go with 20 double-doubles and one triple-double. [22] He was named team MVP [22] and earned league All-Star Five honors. [23] He was also a finalist for league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. [24]
In 2016, Starling returned to the Premier League to play for the Southern Tigers. [19] He helped the Tigers win the championship [25] and earned All-Star Five honors. [26]
Starling joined the North Adelaide Rockets for the 2017 Premier League season [27] and earned Best Defensive Player honors. [28] He returned to the Rockets in 2018 and once again earned league MVP and All-Star Five honors. [29] [30] He averaged 22.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 steals per game. [12] With the Rockets in 2019, he earned Best Defensive Player honors for the second time. [28]
In December 2019, Starling signed with the South Adelaide Panthers for the 2020 season. [31] The Premier League was rebranded as NBL1 Central in 2020, [32] but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [33] He had also been touted to make his football debut in 2020 with the Gawler Central Football Club in regional South Australia. [34] [35]
With the Panthers in 2021, Starling led the NBL1 Central in rebounds and steals. [36] In 12 games, he averaged 16.5 points, 13.17 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game. [37]
In 2022, Starling helped the Panthers win the championship while earning grand final MVP behind his 31 points and 18 rebounds against the Woodville Warriors. [38] He once again earned the league's Best Defensive Player award. [39] In 20 games, he averaged 20.15 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.15 assists, 2.75 steals and 1.35 blocks per game. [40]
Starling returned to the Panthers for a third season in 2023. He was the league's rebounding leader with 13.13 per game [41] and once again earned Best Defensive Player and All-Star Five honors. [42] [43] In 16 games, he averaged 21.25 points, 13.38 rebounds, 3.44 assists, 2.69 steals and 1.19 blocks per game. [44]
On May 23, 2023, Starling signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2023–24 NBL season. [45] [46] [47] In 25 games, he averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. [48]
In March 2024, Starling re-joined the South Adelaide Panthers for the 2024 NBL1 Central season. [49] He was named league MVP for a third time [50] alongside Best Defensive Player and All-Star Five. [51] He was also the league's steals leader with 2.8 per game. [52] With a career-high 23.1 points per game, he helped the Panthers finish with a league-best 15–3 record. [53]
On April 29, 2024, Starling re-signed with the 36ers for the 2024–25 NBL season. [54] [55]
Starling's mother is Jennifer Davis. He has an older sister and an older brother. [1]
In May 2023, Starling gained his Australian citizenship. [45] [56]
Brad Newley is an Australian professional basketball player for the Frankston Blues of the NBL1 South. After starting his career in Australia, playing for the Australian Institute of Sport and the Townsville Crocodiles, Newley was drafted 54th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2007 NBA draft. He never played in the NBA and instead carved out a career in Europe, playing in Greece, Turkey, Lithuania, and Spain between 2007 and 2016. Between 2016 and 2024, he played in the National Basketball League (NBL) for the Sydney Kings and Melbourne United.
Daniel Geoffrey Craig Johnson is an Australian professional basketball player for the Forestville Eagles of the NBL1 Central. He debuted in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2008 with the Melbourne Tigers. After two seasons, he joined the Adelaide 36ers where he played the next 13 seasons. With the 36ers, he is a seven-time All-NBL Team member, including three All-NBL First Team recognitions. Johnson is also a long-time Australian state league player and has had many stints overseas.
Rhys Jarred Carter is an Australian former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). He had a near 20-year career, playing 282 NBL games, over 110 games in Sweden, over 200 SEABL/NBL1 games, and time in the British Basketball League, Big V and Premier League.
Mitchell Creek is an Australian professional basketball player for the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He began his National Basketball League (NBL) career in 2010 and played his first eight seasons with the Adelaide 36ers. After a stint in Germany in 2018, he joined the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. During the 2018–19 season, he had stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix between 2019 and 2024.
Thomas Daly is an Australian basketball player who last played for the Mount Gambier Pioneers of the NBL1 South.
Lucas Walker is an Australian basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL1 East. He played 10 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 2010 and 2020. He played college basketball for Montana State University Billings and Saint Mary's College of California before joining the Melbourne Tigers in 2010. After five seasons with Melbourne, he had stints with the Adelaide 36ers, Perth Wildcats, Cairns Taipans and Sydney Kings. He won an NBL championship with the Wildcats in 2017.
Jason Robert Cadee is an Australian professional basketball player for the Gold Coast Rollers of the NBL1 North. He is also contracted with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Anthony Drmic is an Australian professional basketball player for the Tasmania JackJumpers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos and is their second all-time leading scorer. He led Boise State to two NCAA Tournaments during his 5 years with the Broncos. While he has represented the Australian under-19 team, he also holds a Croatian passport.
Shaun Bruce is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He is also contracted with the Logan Thunder of the NBL1 North. He began his NBL career in 2012 as a development player with the Cairns Taipans, before earning a full-time roster spot in 2013. In 2016, he moved south to join the Brisbane Bullets. After half a season with the Adelaide 36ers in 2019, he joined the Kings.
Majok Machar Deng is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Tasmania JackJumpers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball in the United States for Indian Hills Community College and Louisiana–Monroe. He debuted in the NBL for the Adelaide 36ers in 2016. After three seasons for the 36ers, he joined the Cairns Taipans in 2019 where he spent four seasons.
Anthony Petrie is an Australian basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 2007 and 2018. He is currently the head coach of the Gold Coast Rollers in the NBL1 North.
Scott Ninnis is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is the current head coach of the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He won three NBL championships during his career: 1986 and 1998 with the 36ers and 1992 with the South East Melbourne Magic. He coached the 36ers for two years and was an assistant coach with the club when they won the 1998–99 and 2001–02 NBL championships. He returned to the 36ers' coaching staff in 2023 as an assistant and was appointed as interim head coach midway through the 2023–24 season.
Nathan Adam Sobey is an Australian professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He is also contracted with the Ipswich Force of the NBL1 North. He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys before debuting in the NBL in 2014 for the Cairns Taipans. He was a member of the Australian Boomers team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mitchell James Robert McCarron is an Australian professional basketball player for the Taranaki Airs of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Atem Kuol Atem Bol is a South Sudanese basketball player for the Ipswich Force of the NBL1 North.
Sunday Dech is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the East Perth Eagles of the NBL1 West. He is also contracted with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is a two-time NBL champion with the Perth Wildcats, having won in 2014 and 2019. Dech played NCAA Division II college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners and Barry Buccaneers.
Jack McVeigh is an Australian professional basketball player for the Tasmania JackJumpers of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Kyrin Galloway is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Townsville Heat of the NBL1 North. He is also contracted with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the UNC Greensboro Spartans.
Benjamin Ayre is an Australian professional basketball player for the Wellington Saints of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball in the United States for Skagit Valley College and Newman University before joining the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL as a development player in 2019. He played briefly in Lithuania for BC Mažeikiai in 2020 and in 2022 had a breakout stint with the Cairns Taipans.
Michael Harris is an Australian professional basketball player for the Warwick Senators of the NBL1 West. He is also contracted with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Nearly 10 years after travelling to Australia to give AFL a crack, American Alex Starling will finally play a game of footy, but at country level with...