Ben Purser

Ben Purser

Purser with the Hawks in 2014
No. 33 – Perry Lakes Hawks
Position Small forward
League State Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1990-02-24) 24 February 1990
Perth, Western Australia
Nationality Australian
Listed height 201 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight 94 kg (207 lb)
Career information
High school Christ Church Grammar School
(Perth, Western Australia)
College Augusta (2010–2011)
Playing career 2008–present
Career history
2008–present Perry Lakes Hawks (SBL)
2011–2013 Perth Wildcats (NBL)
Career highlights and awards

Benjamin Purser (born 24 February 1990) is an Australian basketball player for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the State Basketball League (SBL). A stalwart forward for the Hawks since 2008, Purser has also spent time in the National Basketball League with the Perth Wildcats as a development player, and played one season of college basketball in the United States for Augusta State University, helping the Jaguars win the 2011 Peach Belt Conference men's tournament championship.

Known for his defensive qualities and all-round game style,[1] Purser made his SBL debut in 2008 before taking out the league's Most Improved Player Award in 2009. He has also been involved in two Grand Final appearances with the Hawks, in 2009 and 2011.[1]

Early life and junior career

Born and raised in Perth, Purser attended Christ Church Grammar School where he played school basketball, football and cricket. He graduated from Christ Church in 2007 and is now a member of the school's Old Boys' Association.[2] As a junior, Purser played for Subiaco Basketball Club and represented the Perry Lakes Hawks in the Western Australian Junior Basketball League (WABL).[3] In July 2007, he helped WA Metro win silver at the Under 18 National Championships in Launceston,[4] and in February 2008, he helped Western Australia win bronze at the Under 20 National Championships in Albury.[2]

SBL, NBL and college

Early years (2008–2009)

In 2008, Purser made his debut for the Perry Lakes Hawks' SBL team. He began his SBL career under long-time Hawks coach John Gardiner, and helped the team claim the minor premiership with a 21–5 record. As a rookie, he saw action in 28 games, finishing with averages of 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Purser also played WABL during the 2008 season and was subsequently named to the WABL Mens Division 1 All-Star team for his efforts with the Hawks.[5]

In February 2009, Western Australia's scoring trio of Purser, Cody Ellis and Reece Maxwell helped the state finish fourth at the Under 20 National Championships in Townsville.[2][6]

The 2009 SBL season saw Purser become a figurehead for the Hawks in just his second year. On April 4, in just the sixth game of the season, he recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in a 111–98 win over the Perth Redbacks. He later had another double digit rebounding game on April 17, recording 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 106–103 loss to the South West Slammers. On May 16, he scored a season-high 28 points in a 122–101 win over the Mandurah Magic.[7] The Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place on the ladder with a 17–9 record and advanced through to the grand final for the first time since 2005. However, the Hawks were outclassed in the season decider, losing 85–77 to the first-seeded Lakeside Lightning.[8][9] In just under 36 minutes of grand final action, Purser recorded eight points, two assists, one rebound and one steal. He fouled out late in the match with his sixth personal foul.[10] At Basketball WA's end of season awards night, Purser was named the recipient of the Most Improved Player Award.[11] He appeared in 28 of the team's 31 games in 2009, averaging 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.[7]

FIBA Oceania Tournament (2009)

In June 2009, Purser travelled with an Australian Under 20 national side to Saipan to compete in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Tournament, sacrificing three SBL games in order to make his debut on the international basketball stage.[12] They played against the senior men's teams of New Caledonia, New Zealand, Fiji, Palau, Tahiti, Guam and Northern Marianas. Despite this, Australia won the gold medal after dominating the tournament.[13] A highlight for Purser was a 13-point performance against the Northern Mariana Islands, a game Australia won 107–41.[13]

Continued improvement (2010)

In 2010, Purser continued to show improvement with the Hawks, scoring in double figures in all but one game and recording seven double-doubles. On March 20, in just the third game of the season, Purser tied his career high of 28 points in a 140–84 win over the Cockburn Cougars. With a 15–11 record, the Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place on the ladder for the second year in a row, going on to lose to the third-seeded Geraldton Buccaneers in quarter-finals, falling 2–0. In 26 games for the Hawks in 2010, Purser averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He also recorded a career-high 42 steals during the season, good for 1.6 per game.[14]

Augusta State (2010–2011)

Following the conclusion of the 2010 SBL season, Purser left for a basketball scholarship at Augusta State University (ASU) in the United States. He transferred his two and a half years of Law/Commerce Studies at UWA to ASU where he hoped to complete his studies as well as play for the Augusta Jaguars.[15] Purser impressed Jaguars' head coach Dip Metress during the 2010–11 season,[16] as he managed to appear in all 34 games while receiving 11 starting assignments. He finished the season as the fourth-leading scorer on the team with 7.7 points per game, and also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.[17] ASU matched a school record with 30 wins in 2010–11 and made its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.[18] The Jaguars claimed the Peach Belt Conference Championship and won the PBC Tournament title with a 76–59 win over UNC Pembroke in the final.[19]

Another grand final appearance (2011)

In April 2011, Purser returned to Perth and re-joined the Hawks, making his season debut on May 6 after missing the team's first nine games of the season. In July 2011, he announced that he would not be returning to Augusta State for the 2011–12 season due to complications with his UWA units not matching up with ASU, as well as his desire to play professionally in Australia.[20][21] Coming off his time playing in the United States, Purser was a dominate force for the Hawks during the 2011 season, scoring in double figures in all but one game for the second straight year and recording five double-doubles. On June 6, he had a season-best game with 16 points, a career-high 21 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in a 94–85 win over the Goldfields Giants. He later had back-to-back games of 28 points on July 10 and July 16. The Hawks finished the regular season in fourth place on the ladder with a 17–9 record and made their way through to another grand final appearance. This time they faced their arch rivals, the Wanneroo Wolves, where they were defeated 88–83 despite an 18-point performance from Purser.[22] In 22 games for the Hawks in 2011, he averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game.[23]

Perth Wildcats (2011–2013)

Soon after parting ways with Augusta State, Purser signed with the Perth Wildcats as a development player for the 2011–12 NBL season.[24][25] He showed a lot of potential in his first season, as he scored 20 total points in 10 games[26] and was nominated for the NBL's Round 23 Play of the Week for an impressive cut to the basket against the Cairns Taipans.[27] In just his third game for the Wildcats on 23 December 2011, Purser had his best scoring performance for the club, recording six points on 3-of-3 shooting in an 86–62 home win over the New Zealand Breakers.[26] The Wildcats finished the 2011–12 season in second spot on the ladder with a 19–9 record, and went on to lose to the New Zealand Breakers 2–1 in the best-of-three Grand Final series.

In March 2012, Purser was named captain of the Perry Lakes Hawks, becoming one of the youngest captains in the SBL.[28] His first season as captain, however, did not go as planned, as the Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1992, dropping from runners-up in 2011 to 10th place in 2012 with an 11–15 record. He missed seven games during the season, managing to appear in 19 of the team's 26 contests. He set a career high for double-doubles in a season with nine, and on May 26, he scored a then career-high 32 points in a 95–90 win over the Willetton Tigers after playing out the entire 48 minutes of the game. He finished with averages of 17.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.[29]

Following the conclusion of the 2012 SBL season, Purser re-joined the Wildcats as a development player for the 2012–13 NBL season. He received a lot more opportunities in 2012–13, appearing in 13 regular season games and one playoff game, and even travelled with the team to Auckland to face the New Zealand Breakers for their season opener.[30] He travelled to Auckland again later in the year, as he filled in for the injured Cameron Tovey. For the second year in a row, the Wildcats finished in second spot on the ladder behind the Breakers with a 22–6 record, and once again made the Grand Final series where they lost to New Zealand in a 2–0 sweep. Over 14 contests, Purser totalled 11 points, thus completing his two-year development player stint with the Wildcats having played in 24 games while averaging 1.3 points per game.[31]

In 2013, Purser helped the Hawks return to championship contenders playing under coach Shawn Dennis. Dennis later departed the club mid-season for a head coaching job in the NBL, and Charles Nix took over the reins. Purser was again a dominate force during the 2013 season, recording six double-doubles, scoring three 30+ point games, and earned a reputation as a lock-down defender. On July 26, he scored a career-high 34 points in a 104–97 win over the Perth Redbacks.[32] The Hawks finished the regular season in second spot on the ladder with an 18–8 record, their best finish since Purser's rookie season. Purser led the Hawks to an eventual semi-final match-up against the Wanneroo Wolves where they lost the best-of-three series 2–0.[33] In 29 games for the Hawks in 2013, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.[34]

On 8 September 2013, Purser represented the Wildcats in the team's preseason exhibition game against the SBL All-Stars.[35] In 21 minutes of action off the bench, he recorded four points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in a 93–79 win.[36] This game marked Purser's last gig with the Wildcats as he was not offered a full-time contract by the club for the 2013–14 season. Due to his age, he was unable to continue on as a development player in 2013–14.

Post-Wildcats stint (2014–present)

In 2014, Purser was able to devote his full attention to the Hawks for the first time in his career, with college and the Wildcats behind him. However, despite having picked up 2013 Grand Final MVP Justin Cecil from the Lakeside Lightning, and having returned to form in 2013, the Hawks struggled in 2014 and quickly fell out of the playoff race. Purser continued to play well though, scoring in double figures in all but one game and recording seven double-doubles. On May 23, he recorded his second career triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 138–134 double overtime win over the Stirling Senators.[37] On June 21, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 111–107 loss to the Joondalup Wolves. The Hawks finished the regular season in 10th spot on the ladder with an 11–15 record,[38] the same record the Hawks missed the playoffs with in 2012. Purser appeared in all 26 games for the Hawks in 2014, averaging a career-high 20.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.[39]

In 2015, the Hawks' recruitment of exciting import point guard Bryton Hobbs sparked the team back into playoff contention. With Hobbs out injured on May 23 against the Geraldton Buccaneers, Purser capitalised and had a season-best game with 27 points and 14 rebounds in a 105–88 loss.[40] On July 4, Purser bested this performance with a 29-point, 14-rebound outing in his 200th SBL game.[41] Played in Kalgoorlie against the Goldfields Giants, the Hawks won the game with a 104–102 overtime victory.[42] Purser helped lead the Hawks back to the playoffs with a 12–14 record, good for eighth spot on the ladder. In the quarter-finals, they faced off against the first-seeded Joondalup Wolves. In a tight fought series, the Hawks were defeated 2–1, with only eight points separating the two teams over the three games. Purser appeared in all 29 games for the Hawks in 2015, averaging 18.1 points, a career-high 9.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Throughout the season, he recorded a career-high 12 double-doubles.[43]

Purser struggled with his shot early on in the 2016 season, shooting 38% over the first 10 games as the Hawks started 5–5. On 7 May 2016, he scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, in a 92–91 loss to the Willetton Tigers,[44] marking his first 30-point game since 27 June 2014. On May 19, he was named a starter on the SBL North All-Stars team.[45] In the June 6 SBL All-Star Game, Purser recorded 12 points and 8 rebounds in 20½ minutes of action in a 116–104 loss to the South All-Stars.[46] On July 3, he recorded 21 points and a then season-high 16 rebounds in a 111–89 win over the South West Slammers.[47] In the Hawks' regular season finale on July 29, Purser scored 24 points and grabbed a career-high tying 21 rebounds in a 102–96 win over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns.[48] The win booked the Hawks a place in the playoffs, as they finished eighth on the ladder with an 11–15 record. They went on to lose 2–1 in the quarter-finals for the second straight season, as they were defeated by the first-seeded Cockburn Cougars. Purser appeared in all 29 games for the Hawks for the second straight season, but his 15.8 points per game was his lowest mark since the 2009 season. He still managed 9.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steals, while recording 10 double-doubles throughout the season.[49] At Basketball WA's end of season awards night, Purser was named in the inaugural SBL All-Defensive Five team.[50]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Correct as of 4 July 2015

Australia Junior Championships

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007 WA Metro U18 8 – – .353 .273 .655 5.8 1.9 1.3 – 8.8
2008 WA U20 7 – – .460 .200 .750 4.6 1.3 .6 – 7.6
2009 WA U20 6 – – .473 .200 .750 4.8 1.0 – – 13.5

Source: FoxSportsPulse, FoxSportsPulse

SBL

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008 Perry Lakes 28 .457 .167 .697 4.8 1.3 .5 .1 8.0
2009 Perry Lakes 28 .436 .333 .707 6.2 3.5 .8 .4 13.4
2010 Perry Lakes 26 .462 .309 .731 7.3 5.1 1.6 .2 17.8
2011 Perry Lakes 22 .433 .234 .726 7.4 4.2 1.0 .4 18.2
2012 Perry Lakes 19 .378 .328 .708 9.0 4.8 1.6 .3 17.2
2013 Perry Lakes 29 .492 .258 .647 7.6 3.4 1.0 .1 17.6
2014 Perry Lakes 26 .478 .273 .725 7.9 5.0 .7 .4 20.8
2015 Perry Lakes 22 .464 .298 .649 9.5 4.3 1.0 .6 19.3
Career 200 .452 .289 .698 7.3 3.6 1.0 .3 16.3

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 Augusta State 34 11 20.9 .478 .431 .716 3.5 1.5 .6 .1 7.7

NBL

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 Perth 10 0 4.3 .467 .000 .857 .6 .5 .0 .0 2.0
2012–13 Perth 14 0 4.7 .235 .000 .500 .8 .1 .2 .0 .8
Career 24 0 4.5 .344 .000 .692 .7 .3 .1 .0 1.3

SBL career highs

Stat High Opponent Date
Points 34 vs Perth Redbacks 26 July 2013
Rebounds 21 vs Goldfields Giants
vs Kalamunda Eastern Suns		 6 June 2011
29 July 2016
Assists 12 vs Perth Redbacks
vs Stirling Senators		 4 April 2009
23 May 2014
Steals 4 Multiple times
Blocks 3 Multiple times

Personal

Purser's father, Andrew, is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for the Footscray Football Club from 1983 to 1987.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 "Hawks Captain Ben Purser reaches 200". FoxSportsPulse.com. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "BEN PURSUES BASKETBALL DREAM". CCGS.was.edu.au. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "Player Profiles 2016: Ben Purser #33". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "ANOTHER CLEAN SWEEP FOR VIC METRO". FoxSportsPulse.com. 17 July 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "WABL All Star Winners". BasketballWA.asn.au. 21 September 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "20 AND IB WINNERS DECIDED". Basketball.net.au. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2009". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Lightning strike down Hawks and swoop on third SBL Championship". FoxSportsPulse.com. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  9. ↑ Hope, Shayne (24 August 2009). "Lightning strike for third time in SBL". Yahoo.com. The West Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Lightning vs Hawks". FoxSportsPulse.com. 22 August 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "2009 SBL Award Winners". FoxSportsPulse.com. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Pekin, Lyndsay (18 June 2009). "Purser to make International debut at 2009 FIBA Oceania Championships". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  13. 1 2 "AUSTRALIA REIGNS AT FIBA OCEANIA TOURNAMENT". Basketball.net.au. 27 June 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2010". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Purser heads to Augusta State University". FoxSportsPulse.com. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  16. ↑ Young, Jake (4 January 2011). "Purser latest Aussie in long line at ASU". WRDW.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "Augusta State 2010–11 Season Statistics". AugustaJags.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Jags basketball adds another recruit". WRDW.com. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Augusta State Claims PBC Men's Tournament Title 76-59". PeachBeltConference.org. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  20. ↑ Kagi, Jacob (14 July 2011). "Perry Lakes star Purser may quit NCAA". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  21. ↑ Gay, Chris (2 August 2011). "Augusta State basketball team loses 2 Australians: assistant Robbie McKinlay, guard Ben Purser". Augusta.com. The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Wanneroo take out SBL title". Yahoo.com. The West Australian. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2011". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  24. 1 2 Hope, Shayne (3 August 2011). "Wildcats bring in ex-AFL star's son". Yahoo.com. The West Australian. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  25. ↑ Kagi, Jacob (12 August 2011). "Perry Lakes' Purser happy with development player role". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  26. 1 2 "Player statistics for Ben Purser – NBL 2011/12". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Fido NBL Plays of the Week – Round 23". YouTube.com. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  28. ↑ "Men Name Leadership Group". FoxSportsPulse.com. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  29. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2012". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  30. ↑ Hope, Shayne (2 October 2012). "Wildcat Robbins to miss start of NBL season". Yahoo.com. The West Australian. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  31. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – NBL 2012/13". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  32. ↑ Pike, Chris (27 July 2013). "Hawks second, Redbacks eighth (Friday Night Wrap)". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  33. ↑ Pike, Chris (24 August 2013). "Lightning, Wolves into men's decider (Friday Wrap)". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  34. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2013". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "Wildcats V SBL All-Stars: Line-ups announced". Wildcats.com.au. NBL.com.au. 5 September 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  36. ↑ "Perth Wildcats defeat SBL All-Stars in exhibition match". Wildcats.com.au. NBL.com.au. 8 September 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  37. ↑ Pike, Chris (24 May 2014). "Night of men's upsets; double overtime thriller (Week 11 Friday night SBL wrap)". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  38. ↑ Pike, Chris (31 July 2014). "A look at the men's SBL teams not in playoffs". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  39. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2014". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  40. ↑ Pike, Chris (24 May 2015). "Two road wins for Wolves over Senators (Week 11 Saturday night SBL wrap)". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  41. ↑ "200 SBL games up for Hawks Captain Ben Purser". FoxSportsPulse.com. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  42. ↑ "Giants vs Hawks". FIBALiveStats.com. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2015". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  44. ↑ "Tigers vs Hawks". FIBALiveStats.com. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  45. ↑ "MSBL All-Star Starters". FoxSportsPulse.com. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  46. ↑ "North vs South". FIBALiveStats.com. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  47. ↑ "Hawks vs Slammers". FIBALiveStats.com. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  48. ↑ "Hawks vs Suns". FIBALiveStats.com. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  49. ↑ "Player statistics for Ben Purser – SBL 2016". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  50. ↑ "MSBL Allstar 5 & Defensive 5 2016". Facebook.com. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
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