BIO: Terry Linnard Dozier was born in Baltimore, Maryland (USA) and played high school basketball at Dunbar High in Baltimore. He later attended the University of South Carolina, where he played from 1985 to 1989.
FAMILY: Dozier was a cousin of fellow NBA player Reggie Lewis. Dozier’s nephew, P. J. Dozier, is also an NBA player.
Terry Dozier made his NBL debut with the Geelong Supercats at 24 years of age. He scored 16 points in his first game.
Having won just 16 games across the previous three seasons, the 1991 Geelong Supercats entered the NBL season with modest expectations. But thanks to a talented starting five, a revamped team culture, and a key financial boost from a local ownership group of four major stakeholders and around 30 shareholders, the Supercats turned into one of the league’s biggest surprises—finishing with a 17–9 record and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1984.
There were key roster changes before the season began. Import forward Daren Rowe departed the club and was replaced by Terry Dozier, a long and athletic defender who would go on to win the NBL’s Best Defensive Player award. Young wing Andrew Parkinson also exited (joining Southern Melbourne), opening the door for rookie Leigh Cleary to join the bench rotation.
Geelong’s 1991 campaign began how most predicted, with a rough 0–3 start following losses to North Melbourne (109–112), Eastside Spectres (100–119), and Perth (105–110). But the Supercats broke through with a road win over Brisbane (126–106), sparking a stunning turnaround that saw them win 16 of their remaining 22 games.
Led by head coach Barry Barnes, Geelong’s starters logged heavy minutes and delivered elite production across the board. Bobby Locke (25.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.0 steals) led the NBL in steals and ranked among the league’s top scorers in his first full season. Vince Hinchen (24.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists) and Shane Heal (23.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 7.8 assists) gave the team dynamic offensive firepower in the backcourt, while Terry Dozier (22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) anchored the defence and added scoring versatility. Inside, John Dorge (14.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks) dominated the paint and led the NBL in blocked shots.
All five starters averaged over 33 minutes per game, with Jim Bateman (7.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) providing steady contributions off the bench. Bruce Hultgren, Leigh Cleary, Mark Griffin, and Shane Crothers rounded out the supporting cast, helping to balance out a tight rotation built around defense and cohesion.
The Supercats’ 17–9 finish tied them with Eastside for second place, but the NBL’s head-to-head tiebreaker rule pushed Geelong down to third. Though both teams split their two meetings 1–1, the Spectres had a +1 point differential across those games, handing them the higher seed.
In the Elimination Finals, Geelong faced off against a strong North Melbourne Giants team led by Scott Fisher and Paul Maley. Game 1 saw the Supercats explode offensively, putting up a massive 139–119 win at The Arena in Geelong. Shane Heal led the way with 36 points with 11 assists and nine triples, Hinchen added 31 points and Dozier contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds in a complete team performance that saw Geelong shoot 57% from the field and dominate across every statistical category.
North Melbourne struck back in Game 2, protecting home court with a 136–116 victory. In the decisive Game 3 back in Geelong, the Giants overpowered the Supercats (125–113). Despite a strong 31-point effort from Locke, 27 from Heal, and 23 from Hinchen, the Supercats were undone by the interior strength of Maley (24 points, 12 rebounds) and the hot shooting of Scott Fisher (30 points on 14-of-20 shooting).
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1992
After taking over from coach Ken Cole mid-season in 1991, head coach Tom Wiseman was able to redesign the Falcons lineup. Newcastle utilised three imports the season prior (Jerry Everett, Troy Truvillion, James Bullock) but having won only five games, Wiseman chose to go in a different direction, adding former NBA players Terry Dozier (via Geelong) and Everette Stephens.
The only major change to the roster saw the Falcons swap Peter Harvey (to Gold Coast) for Paul Kuiper (via Gold Coast) and a young local Shawn Dennis join the squad as a rookie.
Everette Stephens (23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks) and Terry Dozier (22.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks) delivered a amazing season statistically, filling the stats sheet in all categories. Michael Johnson (20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists) and 39 year old Al Green (18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.1 steals) put up big numbers as well but once it got to the remaining roster there was little left in the tank. Injuries saw Kuiper (7 games) and Jason Joynes (10 games) play less than half the season and the remainder of the Newcastle bench just simply wasn’t up to NBL standards.
In his first full season as coach, Wiseman was able to improve the team result from 5 wins to 9 wins, but this saw minimal improvement in the standings with Newcastle improving from bottom of the ladder to second from the bottom as a result.
1993
After struggling to compete in the NBL for four straight seasons, Wiseman was able to retain the majority of his core roster for his second full season as head coach, which delivered the Falcons most successful season since 1985.
The key to the Falcon’s success was being able to retain Terry Dozier (21.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1 steals, 1.2 blocks) and Everette Stephens (21.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists 1.5 steals), who had developed into one of the league’s most potent import duos. A healthy Paul Kuiper (11.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists) who had managed to play in only a third of the prior season made a big difference and ever reliable Michael Johnson (20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1 steals) firing away saw Newcastle win four of their first five games.
They would finish the season with a record of 15-11 which was equal with Illawarra Hawks but thanks to a +9 points percentage in their head to head with the Hawks, they would finish in fifth place on the ladder.
Newcastle faced Brisbane in the Quarter-finals but the strength of their stars Leroy Loggins, Dave Colbert, Andre Moore and Shane Heal proved too difficult in the postseason. Brisbane would win games one (125-99) and two (122-118) ending the Falcons season.
1994
During the 1994 season, Dozier averaged 20.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists and helped the Falcons finish with a record of 13-13 and end the regular season in eighth place.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 28 | Newcastle | 13-13 (8) | 26 | 1,167.0 | 541 | 242 | 59 | 72 | 170 | 23 | 6 | 80 | 84 | 208 | 408 | 51% | 21 | 60 | 35% | 104 | 131 | 79% | 58% | 54% | 31 |
| 1993 | 27 | Newcastle | 15-11 (5) | 27 | 1,218.0 | 590 | 308 | 63 | 68 | 240 | 26 | 32 | 98 | 85 | 226 | 437 | 52% | 12 | 40 | 30% | 126 | 159 | 79% | 58% | 53% | 36 |
| 1992 | 26 | Newcastle | 9-15 (12) | 21 | 911.0 | 478 | 235 | 31 | 71 | 164 | 23 | 38 | 60 | 81 | 174 | 312 | 56% | 3 | 7 | 43% | 127 | 170 | 75% | 61% | 56% | 35 |
| 1991 | 25 | Geelong | 17-9 (3) | 29 | 1,258.0 | 639 | 280 | 68 | 94 | 186 | 48 | 23 | 76 | 103 | 256 | 464 | 55% | 3 | 6 | 50% | 124 | 156 | 79% | 59% | 55% | 34 | Totals | 103 | 4554 | 2248 | 1065 | 221 | 305 | 760 | 120 | 99 | 314 | 353 | 864 | 1621 | 53.3% | 39 | 113 | 34.5% | 481 | 616 | 78.1% | 59% | 55% | 36 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 28 | Newcastle | 13-13 (8) | 26 | 44.9 | 20.8 | 9.3 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 8.0 | 15.7 | 51% | 0.8 | 2.3 | 35% | 4.0 | 5.0 | 79% | 58% | 54% | 31 |
| 1993 | 27 | Newcastle | 15-11 (5) | 27 | 45.1 | 21.9 | 11.4 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 8.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 8.4 | 16.2 | 52% | 0.4 | 1.5 | 30% | 4.7 | 5.9 | 79% | 58% | 53% | 36 |
| 1992 | 26 | Newcastle | 9-15 (12) | 21 | 43.4 | 22.8 | 11.2 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 8.3 | 14.9 | 56% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 43% | 6.0 | 8.1 | 75% | 61% | 56% | 35 |
| 1991 | 25 | Geelong | 17-9 (3) | 29 | 43.4 | 22.0 | 9.7 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 8.8 | 16.0 | 55% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 50% | 4.3 | 5.4 | 79% | 59% | 55% | 34 | Total | 103 | 44.2 | 21.8 | 10.3 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 8.4 | 15.7 | 53.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.5% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 78.1% | 59% | 55% | 36 |
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 36 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
After his collegiate playing career concluded, Dozier went undrafted in the 1989 NBA draft but signed with the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the 1989/90 season.
He played nine games with the team, in which he averaged 2.4 points and 1.7 rebounds, before he was waived on November 27, 1989. As he wasnt able to secure a spot on an NBA roster the following year, Dozier went on to play the remainder of his professional career internationally.
Dozier played 9 games in the NBA. He averaged 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- September 28, 1989: Signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets.
-
November 27, 1989: Waived by the Charlotte Hornets.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 96% | 79% | 87% | 93% | ||||||
| 2 | 1 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| Total | 864 | 1621 | 53.3% | 39 | 113 | 34.5% |
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 23 | Charlotte | SF | 9 | 0 | 92 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 36% | 33% | Total | 9 | 0 | 92 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 33% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 4 | 8 | 50% |
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 23 | Charlotte | SF | 9 | 0 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 33% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 36% | 33% | Total | 9 | 0 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 33% | 0.1 | 0% | 0.4 | 0.9 | 50% |
Name: Dozier, Terry | college: South Carolina (1985–1989)| Additional Info: Terry Dozier played four seasons at University of South Carolina from 1985–86 through 1988–89, finishing his NCAA career with 104 games played, 1,445 total points (13.9 per game), 487 rebounds (4.7 per game) and 201 assists (1.9 per game) while shooting 47.7% from the field and 75.9% at the free-throw line.
Dozier made an immediate impact as a freshman in 1985–86, starting 16 of his 17 appearances and averaging 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in heavy minutes (34.2 per game), giving South Carolina Gamecocks mens basketball a consistent scoring option early in his career.
His best statistical season came as a sophomore in 1986–87 when he started 28 of 29 games and jumped to 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while also improving his free-throw production (3.6 makes per game at 81.4%).
Dozier remained a high-usage focal point as a junior in 1987–88, producing 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and posting his best assists average (2.4 per game), before closing his senior year in 1988–89 with 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game across 30 games.
That 1988–89 season also ended with South Carolina earning an at-large bid to the 1989 NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed in the East Region, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years, and although the Gamecocks fell to NC State Wolfpack mens basketball in the first round (66–81), Dozier logged 37 minutes and scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the matchup.
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