BIO: Born in Mount Airy, Maryland, Josh Boone attended South Carroll High School in Sykesville, Maryland, where he averaged 20 points, 14.4 rebounds, and seven blocked shots per game.

He teamed with Indiana-bound Marshall Strickland to lead South Carroll to a 20–6 record.

In his junior year, the team tied Governor Thomas Johnson High School for the league championship.

South Carroll then lost in the regional semi finals to top-ranked Paint Branch High School.

The next year, he helped lead the team to only the school’s second ever state final four appearance, losing to Gwynn Park in the final four.

After graduating, he attended West Nottingham Academy (a small college prep school) in Colora, Maryland, averaging 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 9.7 blocks per game.

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NBL EXPERIENCE

Josh Boone made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 32 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.

With the league allowing three import players per team this season, Melbourne replaced import duo Stephen Holt and Hakim Warrick with Cedric Jackson, Ramone Moore and Devin Williams. They essentially signed a fourth import by then adding Tai Wesley (via New Zealand) who was allowed to sign as a local under the asian player rule and swapped one Boomers big man for another with David Anderson (via Europe) replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney).

In coach Dean Demopoulos second season, United started poorly (3-7) and Jackson (10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals) quickly being shown the door due to a poor attitude and failing to buy into the team’s defensive principals.

Casper Ware arrived as his replacement shortly after, immediately changing the squad’s direction.

Around this time, Chris Goulding (17.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), who missed six games with ankle issues, began to find his form, and David Barlow (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), returned from a calf injury that had seen him unable to take the court at all for the past two years.

Behind Ware (22.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals) and a healthy roster, United turned things around, winning 10 of their last 18 games.

With the team still capable of reaching the playoffs, Devin Williams (3.2 points and 4.0 rebounds), who surprisingly lasted 16 games before being cut after media and fans pointed out his lack of production and called for an import change for most of the season. With a third of the season remaining, Josh Boone (10.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) arrived and quickly went to work cleaning up Ware and Goulding’s missed shots and finished as the league’s best rebounder. Minute for minute, there was no more effective player than Josh Boone, who finished as Melbourne’s best player in several advanced metrics, including PER, ORtg, DRtg, eFG%, TRB%, and BLK%.

While he avoided the same fate Jackson suffered, Ramone Moore (10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) didn’t deliver the type of impact expected of an import either.

Injuries and offensive meltdowns were the storylines this season. Tai Wesley (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Majok Majok (5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks) were the only two players to compete in all 28 games for United, and coupled with the import turnover, only six players suited up for at least 75% of games. Combine this with the fact that Melbourne finished with the second-worst true shooting percentage in the league and was just 2-5 in games decided by five points.

Ware earned a place in the All-NBL First Team despite playing 18 games, and this combined with United’s strong finish many fans were excited about what the future could bring. This was shown by the almost-capacity crowd of 9,545 showing up at Melbourne’s last home game despite the team having nothing to play for.

In Demopoulos’ second year as head coach, he would struggle managing player relationships, and by the end of the season, it was public knowledge his relationship with certain players wasn’t ‘civil’. A divide between the veterans of the team and the ever-competitive Demopoulos would result in seeing United unable to replicate the success from the previous season, finishing in sixth-place finish (13-15) and both parties moving on at the end of the season.

2017/18
2017 saw the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era with the Sydney assistant coach replacing Dean Demopoulos, who had struggled to fit in with the playing group during his tenure. Vickerman signed on for two seasons and shortly after, the team re-signed David Barlow and imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware. Vickerman brought with him forward Craig Moller (via Sydney) as a replacement for the departing Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and added Casey Prather (via Perth) as the team’s third import.

Melbourne won their season opener against Adelaide (99–97) with Prather (20 points) leading the team offensively. Despite United’s hot start, they would win only five of their first ten games.

On December 16, Prather went down with a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s win over Illawarra (84–78) and was subsequently ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks. While United looked for an injury replacement, development player Felix Von Hofe was elevated into the team until they signed former NBA talent Carrick Felix. Felix joined the team in December and with his addition, the team sparked a strong run home, finishing 15-3 for the remainder of the season.

Boone would lead the league in rebounding for the second consecutive season and average 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game, helping Melbourne finish in first place (20-8) during the regular season, before going on to meet fourth-seed New Zealand in the semifinals. In game one, Prather (15 points) led the team in scoring despite starting on the bench and led United to an 11-point win (88–77). Prather (12 points) then helped Melbourne win game two in overtime (88–86) and progress to the Grand Final. On the opposite side of the bracket, the Adelaide 36ers eliminated the reigning champions Perth in two games as well.

The opening game saw Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) come out on fire in the first half, before leaving the game with a hip injury. United sharp-shooter Chris Goulding would then step up with an impressive shooting display (26 points) to give Melbourne the victory (107-96) at Hisense Arena. Daniel Johnson (18 points) led the 36ers in scoring alongside Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).

In game two, Adelaide came out firing behind Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points) and Ramone Moore (17 points) and tied the series with a 15-point win (110-95). Melbourne were led by Casey Prather (20 points), who had re-joined the team just prior to the Grand Final series, and Chris Goulding (19 points).

The 36ers win came at a cost, with import Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) going down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter that would remove him from the remaining Grand Final games.

The series returned to Melbourne for game three, where tensions exploded at the end of the first half, Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashing heads with Casey Prather after the United import hit a three-pointer on the stroke of halftime. The Adelaide guard was called for a disqualifying foul and ejected from the match. There was further drama at the end of the game with players from both teams needing to be separated after the final buzzer. The incident also resulted in 36ers head coach Joey Wright being fined handsomely for questioning the integrity of the referees.

When the smoke settled, Melbourne had squeaked out a narrow victory (101-98) after Adelaide’s Majok Deng missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. Casper Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points) and Chris Goulding (15 points), who hit three clutch triples to take control of the game, were among United’s best.

Game four saw Adelaide swingman Nathan Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists), who was ejected in game three for his part in the halftime melee, lead the way for the 36ers in the first half with the scoreboard reading 55-31 at the half-way mark. Again the home team was victorious, Adelaide getting a comfortable win over Melbourne United (90-81). Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) top scoring for their respective sides.

In the deciding game five, Goulding, Ware (both 23 points) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals) came to play and Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82) in front of a sold-out crowd at Hisense Arena, winning their first title since re-branding from the Tigers. Shannon Shorter (20 points) led Adelaide in scoring, while Chris Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the five-game series. With the win, Prather collected his third NBL championship to become the first player in NBL history to win three straight titles in his first three seasons in the league.

2018/19
Melbourne entered the 2018/19 season looking to defend their championship. They retained their core group by first re-signing team captain Chris Goulding (two-year deal) and David Barlow (one-year deal) before securing Josh Boone (one-year deal) and Casper Ware (one-year deal), who were challenging to bring back due to strong interest from multiple overseas teams. The team also added DJ Kennedy (via Turkey), Mitch McCarron (via Cairns), and Alex Pledger (via New Zealand) to further strengthen their lineup. Melbourne’s strategy centered on continuity, aiming to keep their championship-winning core intact while adding depth and versatility.

Josh Boone (10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks) anchored the paint for Melbourne United, continuing to be a dominant force in the post. His best performances included 26 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 steals in a win against the New Zealand Breakers, 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a win against the Illawarra Hawks, and 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists in a win against the Adelaide 36ers.

Boone’s rebounding and shot-blocking ability gave Melbourne a strong interior presence, while his pick-and-roll game with Casper Ware remained a consistent threat throughout the season.

Mid-season, Melbourne added Venky Jois (2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds), who had been playing in Japan, to provide additional cover for injuries and strengthen the roster for the playoffs.

Dean Vickerman’s leadership earned him the NBL Coach of the Year award as Melbourne finished second in the regular season (18-10), setting up a semifinal clash against Sydney.

In Game 1 of the semifinals (95-73), Josh Boone contributed 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks as Melbourne dominated the game. Casper Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists), Chris Goulding (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), and DJ Kennedy (20 points and 7 rebounds) led United to the win. Sydney’s Andrew Bogut (7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) struggled offensively, while Kevin Lisch (13 points) and Jerome Randle (13 points) couldn’t overcome Melbourne’s defensive pressure.

In Game 2 of the semifinals (90-76), Boone added 10 points and 8 rebounds as Melbourne secured the series-clinching victory. Casper Ware (30 points and 5 rebounds) and Chris Goulding (23 points and 3 assists) were United’s top performers. Andrew Bogut (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists) had a stronger game, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Melbourne from advancing to face Perth in the Grand Final.

In Game 1 of the Grand Final series (81-71), Boone added 8 points and 7 rebounds while providing a strong defensive presence. Casper Ware (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 2 assists) led Melbourne offensively. United were able to limit Perth’s star import Bryce Cotton (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) offensively, but big games from Terrico White (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Angus Brandt (14 points and 7 rebounds) powered the Wildcats to victory.

Game 2 of the Grand Final series (92-74) saw Melbourne bounce back, with Boone contributing 11 points and 9 rebounds. Casper Ware (14 points and 2 assists), Chris Goulding (14 points and 2 rebounds), and DJ Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists) all stepped up as United evened the series. Bryce Cotton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Terrico White (17 points and 4 rebounds) stood out for Perth.

The loss to Melbourne saw Perth coach Trevor Gleeson make a number of adjustments, and the Wildcats came back to dominate in Game 3 (95-67). Boone added 6 points and 8 rebounds, while DJ Kennedy (13 points and 10 rebounds) and David Barlow (13 points and 5 rebounds) were top scorers in an incredibly low-scoring effort. Bryce Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Terrico White (31 points and 7 rebounds) combined for 58 points and came close to outscoring Melbourne themselves.

In the deciding Game 4 (97-84), Boone contributed 7 points and 6 rebounds as Melbourne fought hard but fell short. Bryce Cotton (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Terrico White (20 points and 8 rebounds) led Perth to the title, with Nick Kay (12 points and 10 rebounds) dominating inside. Casper Ware (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 4 assists) finished as Melbourne’s top scorers. Terrico White, who had faced criticism earlier in the season, claimed the Grand Final MVP award after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the four-game series.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2019/20
The 2019/20 season saw Boone replace the outgoing David Andersen at Illawarra, and go on to average 8.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while the Hawks finished in last place (5-23).

Josh Boone played four seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Melbourne United and the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 10.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 105 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.