BIO: Cj Massingale was born in Tacoma, Washington (USA).
Cj Massingale made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 30 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After years of relying on American imports to fill key roster gaps, the Adelaide 36ers entered the 2012/13 season with a new focus—building around Australian talent. As part of this shift, the club made the surprise decision to sign just one import, awarding the spot to local state league star CJ Massingale. Known for his prolific scoring in the SEABL, Massingale had long been considered one of the best players outside the NBL and was finally handed a chance to prove himself at the top level.
Alongside Massingale, Adelaide overhauled its roster following the collapse of the Gold Coast Blaze. The 36ers brought in Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee on multi-year deals, while centre Luke Schenscher returned for a second stint with the club. Daniel Johnson, Mitch Creek, Nathan Crosswell, and Stephen Weigh were retained to form the domestic core. Departing the team were Adam Ballinger (to Melbourne), Everard Bartlett (to Perth), and former imports Chris Warren and Diamon Simpson, with Darren Ng, Nathan Herbert, and Wade Helliwell stepping away from the game.
The 36ers made a statement in their opening game, crushing Melbourne 84–61. By Round 7, the team had climbed to 4–3 on the ladder after a memorable 69–65 win on the road against Perth. However, the optimism faded quickly as Adelaide dropped 17 of its final 21 games, including another eight-game losing streak that matched their skid from the prior season.
Massingale (4.1 points) found the transition to the NBL difficult. Despite a strong reputation as a scorer, he struggled to assert himself within the faster, more physical style of the national league. His role remained limited over 10 games, and he was ultimately released mid-season after failing to meet expectations. His short-lived stint ended without a signature moment, and the club moved quickly to replace him.
In December, Adelaide signed American guard Scott Christopherson (2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds) out of Belarus. However, Christopherson’s debut was delayed due to visa and FIBA clearance issues. Once cleared, he struggled to break into Marty Clarke’s rotation and made minimal impact. His ineffectiveness drew significant criticism, with long-time basketball journalist Boti Nagy later calling him the worst import in 36ers history.
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s season was further derailed by the loss of Mitch Creek (5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds), who tore his Achilles tendon against Townsville on December 15. Creek’s athleticism and upside had made him a key part of the 36ers’ future plans, and his absence left a void that was never filled.
Despite the team’s struggles, Daniel Johnson (16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds) continued his ascent and was named to the All-NBL Second Team. Adam Gibson (11.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds) provided steady leadership and earned All-NBL Third Team honours. Petrie (11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds), Weigh (10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds), and Schenscher (9 points and 6.1 rebounds) offered consistent frontcourt contributions, while Cadee (7.5 points and 2.5 assists) and Crosswell (3.1 points and 1.7 assists) led the backcourt rotation.
Cj Massingale played one season in the NBL. He averaged 4.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 10 NBL games.
| 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 | 30 | Adelaide | 8-20 (8) | 10 | 97 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 29 | 41% | 4 | 17 | 24% | 13 | 14 | 93% | 58% | 48% | 18 | Totals | 10 | 97 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 29 | 41.4% | 4 | 17 | 23.5% | 13 | 14 | 92.9% | 58% | 48% | 18 |
| 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 | 30 | Adelaide | 8-20 (8) | 10 | 9.7 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 41% | 0.4 | 1.7 | 24% | 1.3 | 1.4 | 93% | 58% | 48% | 18 | Total | 10 | 9.7 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 41.4% | 0.0 | 23.5% | 0.4 | 1.7 | 92.9% | 58% | 48% | 18 |
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 18 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
Massingale suited up for Washington as a freshman in 2000-01, earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 Freshmen Team recognition while appearing in 28 games with four starts.
During that 2000-01 season, he led Washington in three-point accuracy by hitting 17-of-40 from deep (43.0%), and he opened Pac-10 play with three straight double-figure games (25 points at UCLA on Jan. 4, 10 at USC on Jan. 6, and 13 vs Arizona State on Jan. 11).
He also had a team-high 18 points with four rebounds and three steals vs Oregon on Feb. 17, and he finished the season having led the Huskies in scoring in four games overall, with that 25-point outing at UCLA noted as a season high.
In 2001-02 at Washington, Massingale played all 29 games and made 11 starts, averaging 5.7 points per game while ranking second on the team and ninth in the Pac-10 in free-throw percentage at 63-for-77 (81.8%).
That 2001-02 campaign included six double-figure scoring games and a matched career-high 25 points vs California on Feb. 16, while he was credited as a high-volume offensive rebounder with 47 offensive boards compared to 48 defensive rebounds, and he logged a career-high seven rebounds on four different occasions.
In 2002-03 with Washington, he appeared in 21 games and averaged 13.0 minutes, producing 3.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game while shooting .391 from the field, .333 from three, and .667 at the line.
Massingale then transferred to Metro State for the 2003-04 season, starting for a 32-3 national semifinalist under head coach Mike Dunlap that went 19-0 in RMAC regular-season play and added three more wins to take the RMAC Tournament title, with Massingale listed among the starters at 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Metro State averaged a school-record 93.4 points per game that season, shot 49.1% from the field and 41.0% on three-pointers, reached 100 points 11 times, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight where it beat Rollins 88-54 before falling in the national semifinals to Southern Indiana 83-81 on a basket with two seconds left, and Massingale was also named the 2004 RMAC Shootout Most Valuable Player.
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