Dr Dave Adkins and why he should be in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame
February 14, 2021
Bennie Lewis
- Nationality: AUS/USA
- Date of Birth: 29/06/87
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: SF
- Height (CM): 203
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Melbourne
- College: Benedict (2005–2009)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/09
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 24/03/13
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Melbourne 2010-13
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Bennie Lewis was born in Melbourne (VIC).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Bennie Lewis made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
Lewis was born in Melbourne, Australia while his father, Bennie Lewis Jr., was playing in the National Basketball League for the North Melbourne Giants.
He is the grandson of the legendary Illinois Hall of Fame basketball coach Bennie Lewis Sr., who coached the likes of LaPhonso Ellis, Cuonzo Martin and Darius Miles.
Although born in Australia, Lewis was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to East St. Louis, Illinois the beginning of his junior year in high school.
As a junior at East St. Louis in 2003/04, Lewis led the team in free throw percentage (81.3) while only committing 10 turnovers and 14 fouls in 27 games for the Flyers, averaging 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.
He won the 2012 NBL Slam Dunk Competition.
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2010/11
The 2010/11 season saw the Tigers finish with their worst record since 1987. This marked the first time Melbourne had taken the court without either Andrew Gaze or Chris Anstey on the roster, ushering in a clear rebuild for the franchise.
The team had undergone a significant roster overhaul following the exits of Julius Hodge, Mark Worthington (to Gold Coast), Luke Kendall (to Gold Coast), Daniel Johnson (to Adelaide), and the retirements of Anstey and Sam MacKinnon. Head coach Al Westover looked to rebuild the lineup by bringing in import guards Eric Devendorf and TJ Campbell, while constructing an oversized frontcourt that featured Cameron Tragardh (via Wollongong), Matt Burston (via Perth), and Luke Nevill and Wade Helliwell, both of whom returned from overseas stints. However, the roster’s lack of balance quickly became apparent, and the Tigers struggled to generate consistent performances.
Melbourne’s campaign began with a heavy loss to Sydney (68–84) and spiralled further as the team opened with four straight defeats. TJ Campbell (11.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) was cut early in the season, replaced by 2010 NBL MVP Corey Williams (17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists), who had originally signed in Greece but returned to the NBL after his European club failed to meet contract obligations. Williams joined Eric Devendorf (14.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) to form a high-scoring backcourt that still couldn’t lift the team out of the cellar.
Midway through the season, tensions reached boiling point when owner Seamus McPeake stormed the locker room and threatened to withhold player salaries due to poor performance. The team continued to slide, prompting the release of Devendorf and the sacking of head coach Al Westover. Assistant coach Darryl McDonald was promoted to interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Bennie Lewis (4.3 points and 1.2 rebounds) played all 28 games during the season, adding offence from the bench. While he didn’t see extended minutes behind the Tigers’ deeper backcourt rotation, Lewis provided athleticism and energy, contributing occasional scoring bursts and highlight plays in transition.
With financial issues looming, Luke Nevill (12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks) requested and was granted a release to sign overseas. The Tigers frontcourt leaned more heavily on Cameron Tragardh (11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and Matt Burston (8.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals) down the stretch.
Melbourne picked up late-season wins over Sydney, Adelaide, and the Gold Coast Blaze but never found sustained momentum. The Tigers finished with a 10–18 record, failing to make the playoffs and setting a new club record for most losses in a single season.
Bennie Lewis played four seasons the Melbourne Tigers. He averaged 3.3 points, 1 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 94 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 25 | Melbourne | 12-16 (5) | 27 | 315.0 | 100 | 28 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 33 | 97 | 34% | 12 | 48 | 25% | 22 | 26 | 85% | 46% | 40% | 17 |
| 2011-12 | 24 | Melbourne | 11-17 (6) | 26 | 240.0 | 81 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 82 | 38% | 15 | 54 | 28% | 4 | 12 | 33% | 46% | 47% | 15 |
| 2010-11 | 23 | Melbourne | 10-18 (7) | 28 | 331.0 | 119 | 34 | 13 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 44 | 99 | 44% | 23 | 65 | 35% | 8 | 18 | 44% | 55% | 56% | 15 |
| 2009-10 | 22 | Melbourne | 11-17 (6) | 13 | 48.0 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 30% | 1 | 12 | 8% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 35% | 33% | 4 | Totals | 94 | 934 | 318 | 94 | 34 | 28 | 66 | 20 | 20 | 46 | 54 | 115 | 301 | 38.2% | 51 | 179 | 28.5% | 37 | 61 | 60.7% | 48% | 47% | 17 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 25 | Melbourne | 12-16 (5) | 27 | 11.7 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 34% | 0.4 | 1.8 | 25% | 0.8 | 1.0 | 85% | 46% | 40% | 17 |
| 2011-12 | 24 | Melbourne | 11-17 (6) | 26 | 9.2 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 38% | 0.6 | 2.1 | 28% | 0.2 | 0.5 | 33% | 46% | 47% | 15 |
| 2010-11 | 23 | Melbourne | 10-18 (7) | 28 | 11.8 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 44% | 0.8 | 2.3 | 35% | 0.3 | 0.6 | 44% | 55% | 56% | 15 |
| 2009-10 | 22 | Melbourne | 11-17 (6) | 13 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 30% | 0.1 | 0.9 | 8% | 0.2 | 0.4 | 60% | 35% | 33% | 4 | Total | 94 | 9.9 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 38.2% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 28.5% | 0.5 | 1.9 | 60.7% | 48% | 47% | 17 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 17 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Melbourne 2010-11 | Waverly 2012, 2022-24 | Perth 2013 | Geraldton 2014-15 | Frankston 2016-18 | Waverly 2019, 2021
NBA EXPERIENCE
USA (NBDL) - Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2013-2014)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- United Kingdom - Plymouth Raiders (2015–2016)
Lewis joined Plymouth Raiders for the 2015–2016 British Basketball League season, playing his first season in the United Kingdom after signing with the club on 8 May 2015.
Lewis appeared in three games for Plymouth during the opening stretch of the 2015–2016 campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game while shooting 30.6% from the field, 17.6% from three-point range, and 75.0% at the foul line.
In a 27 September 2015 game against Manchester Giants, Lewis logged 31:15 and finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal while sharing the floor with teammates including Daryl Corletto, Josh Wilcher, Auryn Macmillan, and B.J. Anthony.
Lewis also played for Plymouth on 19 September 2015 and made his third and final appearance on 30 October 2015 against Leicester Riders before departing following a tryout opportunity in the United States, ending his time with the Raiders after three outings.
COLLEGE
Lewis played college basketball at Benedict College from 2005–06 through 2008–09, finishing his career as a 1,000-point scorer in NCAA Division II competition.
Lewis suited up for Benedict during the 2005–06 season, helping the Tigers to a 22–7 record and a conference championship before the team reached the NCAA Division II Tournament and exited in the first round.
In that 2005–06 season, Lewis played 29 games and made 7 starts, averaging 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.
As a sophomore in 2006–07, he was part of a 25–5 Benedict team that repeated as conference champions and returned to the NCAA Division II Tournament, again bowing out in the first round.
Across 30 games in 2006–07, Lewis made 3 starts and averaged 6.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
Lewis’ role expanded significantly in 2007–08 as he earned second-team All-SIAC recognition, was named Paine Classic Tournament MVP, and collected NCAA Division II South Region All-Tournament Team honours.
That 2007–08 Benedict squad went 28–5, won the SIAC Tournament, and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
In 2007–08, Lewis appeared in 32 games and made 14 starts, averaging 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 29.6 minutes per game.
In 2008–09, he helped Benedict post a 24–6 record and finish as conference runners-up, with the Tigers earning another NCAA Division II Tournament berth and suffering a first-round exit.
Over 30 games in 2008–09, Lewis made 16 starts and averaged 11.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 32.0 minutes per game.
Across his four-season Benedict career, Lewis played 121 games and totaled 1,051 points, 173 three-pointers, 369 rebounds, and 128 assists.
He was also listed on SIAC All-Academic Team selections during his time in the conference.
Team listings and archived rosters from the period consistently place Lewis on Benedict’s late-2000s squads and identify the program’s coaching leadership during those seasons.
Related
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