Michael Hill played seven seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Canberra Cannons and the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 235 NBL games and was a key part of Brisbane’s 2007 championship, where he averaged 20 minutes per game coming off the bench.
After winning an NBL championship in 2007 his NBL career was cut short thanks to the ineffective salary cap solution which was the NBL Points System.
A system that was initially developed to create parity among the league and protect NBL teams from exiting the league aligned with one of the darkest periods of NBL history.
He joins host Dan Boyce to give his first hand account of how the points system forced him to retire at age 29 despite being one of the country's best players off the bench and how it shunted the development of Aussie hoops for a decade.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Topics include...
Memories from Michael’s seven seasons in the NBL (2:00)
That time Magic Johnson suited up for the Canberra Cannons (5:00)
Playing for the Brisbane Bullets (12:00)
Winning the 2007 NBL Championship (18:00)
Was Sam MacKinnon’s 2006-07 season the best individual season in NBL history (20:00)
The end of the Brisbane Bullets in 2008 (22:00)
The NBL Points System and how it sent Australian Basketball backwards for a decade (24:30)
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com
Demitrius Conger signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2017–18 NBL season. In 27 games for the Hawks, he averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals with the Hawks, who narrowly missed out on making the playoffs, finishing in fifth place (12-16).
Conger went on to finish second in league MVP voting and earned All-NBL First Team honours.
He spent the following season playing in Adelaide, where he saw a drop in his production, but was a vital part of a team who narrowly missed the NBL playoffs.
He joins host Dan Boyce to also discuss his 11 year career as a pro, playing in war torn Israel and goal of returning to Australia to play in the NBL1 to finish his career.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Topics include...
Getting the update from Demitrius on where he’s been playing since leaving Australia (2:00)
Breaking down different European basketball leagues (5:00)
How he found himself playing in Australia back in 2017 (7:00)
His first season in the NBL, playing with the Illawarra Hawks (9:30)
Playing for the Adelaide 36ers the following season (16:30)
His connection to fellow NYC ballers like Gary Ervin, Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams and Gary Clark (21:30)
Playing for coach Joey Wright (29:00)
How his time in Australia finished up (32:00)
Playing in Israel and his thoughts on the country's current situation (36:00)
The biggest hurdles and highlights from his playing career (40:00)
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com
Jesse Wagstaff recently played in his 450th NBL game, becoming one of only 30 people to ever achieve the feat, as well as being only the seventh player to ever do it for one club.
He joins the podcast to reflect on the occasion and review many of the 15 seasons he's played with the Wildcats
He joins host Dan Boyce to also discuss this season's Wildcat squad and his thoughts on where they sit within the current season.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Topics include...
Looking back at a career that played 450 games (2:00)
How does this year’s team compare to the slow-starting 2019 team that went on to win the championship (8:00)
Why playing 15 seasons with one club is something important to Wagstaff (10:00)
Contemplating retirement (12:00)
The most difficult season with the Wildcats (14:00)
The clothesline from Josh Childress which still gets spoken about frequently today (15:30)
What season does he feel he was playing his best basketball (17:30)
Jesse’s nerd like tendencies (22:30)
His biggest learning moments (25:00)
Jesse Wagstaff on playing 450 games and the most difficult and most rewarding Wildcats seasons (30:00)
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com