BIO: Tom Jervis was born in Kalgoorlie (WA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the East Perth basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Tom Jervis made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 26 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

Having been defeated by the New Zealand Breakers in the previous two Grand Final series and then losing star import Kevin Lisch (to France), the Wildcat’s revamped their roster, looking to bring a new look squad and style that would deliver the team a sixth championship.

Team changes included the departure of Rob Beveridge, Kevin Lisch (who would follow Beveridge to Illawarra) and Cameron Tovey. The Wildcats’ then reloaded first by appointing Trevor Gleeson as head coach and signing two new imports in small forward James Ennis, who had just been selected as the 50th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, and shooting guard Jermaine Beal. Hard-nosed point guard Damian Martin would be named team captain, and Perth’s core group of Shawn Redhage, Jesse Wagstaff, Matthew Knight and Greg Hire all returned. Tom Jervis, as well as guards Drake U’U and Erik Burdon, were also signed to bolster the team’s bench.

A search to replace a former NBL MVP is never easy, but when Wildcats managing director Nick Marvin and head coach Trevor Gleeson witnessed his ability first hand at the NBA Summer League, they knew they had a star.

Ennis opened the season with 25 points and 4 rebounds on debut, a three-point victory over arch-rivals Adelaide, the most points scored by a Wildcat on NBL debut at the time. Ennis would earn player of the month in his first month as a Wildcat as Perth began the season with a 8-0 start.

Injuries to Knight forced the club to sign Jarrad Prue and Jeremiah Trueman as short-term injury replacements in October and January, but the Wildcats were still the clear pacesetters for the league. By the league’s mid-season break for the All-Star game, they sat in first place with a 12-1 record, and it was clear that Perth possessed the league’s best import duo that season. James Ennis (21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals) and Jermaine Beal (15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), perfectly complemented the league’s best defender Damian Martin (7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists 2.2 steals) and best villain Shawn Redhage (13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) and to no surprise, Perth finished the season on top of the ladder and reached the postseason for their 28th year in a row. Ennis and Beal were named to the All-NBL first and second team’s respectively.

Once into the postseason, the Wildcat’s eliminated the Wollongong Hawks first in straight sets, while on the other side of the bracket, their historic rivals Adelaide eliminated Melbourne in three games to see both team’s progress to the 2014 Grand Final.

The grand final would see first-placed Perth face second-ranked Adelaide with game one held in Perth. Wildcats star import James Ennis (30 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) would lead Perth in points, rebounds, and assists, resulting in Perth claiming the win (92-85) and taking a 1-0 series lead.

Game two saw the 36ers force a deciding third game in front of 8,127 fans (their largest crowd of the season) rally their team to a 89-84 win behind high scoring from Gary Ervin (23 points) and a all-round game from Adam Gibson (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists) to even the series (1-1).

In response, 13,498 of Perth’s ‘red army’ would show up to see Perth defeat Adelaide and win their sixth NBL title. With James Ennis subdued by foul trouble, the Wildcat’s most experienced duo, Shawn Redhage and Damian Martin, were relied upon to pick up the slack. Redhage, scored 10 of his 16 points in the first term to help his team settle into the contest, while Martin produced a superb defensive effort on 36ers star Gary Ervin, limiting Adelaide’s game two hero to just four points while adding 14 points and six rebounds to the stat sheet. Greg Hire (9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jermaine Beal (15 points) provided key contributions to help Perth bury the demons of successive grand final defeats in the past two seasons.

While Anthony Petrie (20 points) gave up for the 36ers, he lacked the support from fellow starters Adam Gibson (8 points) and Daniel Johnson (9 points), both of whom had been influential in the first two games of the series.

After his huge opening game, Ennis struggled to make a impact in Games two and three, and Beal would go on to win Finals MVP after averaging 17.6 points per game, shooting 48% from beyond the three-point line. Jervis would finish the season by playing in 33 games and averaging 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

2014/15
In 2014, the reigning NBL champions would see close to their entire roster run it back for a chance to repeat as NBL champions. Perth were able to re-sign both Shawn Redhage and Damian Martin (both 3 year deals) and have Jermaine Beal, Damian Martin, Matthew Knight, Greg Hire and Tom Jervis return. Although the team would lose star import James Ennis to the NBA they were able to replace him with another star in Deandre Daniels (14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds) as their second import.

This season Redhage would relinquish the captaincy to Damian Martin and see Perth struggle through injuries all season. Most impacted was the team’s’ frontcourt as Knight (6 games), Hire (19 games) both missing games during the season and Redhage suffering from a stress fracture in his right foot which saw him miss the Wildcats’ entire finals campaign.

With the departure of Ennis, Beal (16.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) became Perth’s main offensive weapon and won the club’s MVP award at the end of the season. The Wildcats’ banged up roster still managed to finish in fourth place (16–12) with Matthew Knight earning a spot on the All-NBL Second Team, and Damian Martin named the NBL’s Best Defensive Player for the fifth consecutive year at the end of season awards.

Perth were then swiftly eliminated by the Cairns in the semifinals. The Wildcats’ had no answer for Taipans’ guard Scottie Wilbekin, who racked up 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in game one (71-64) and then backed it up with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in game two (80-68).

Jervis would play a key role for the Wildcats this season, appearing in 30 games and averaging 7.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.

2015/16
On the heels of a injury-riddled season that ended in a semi-final defeat, similar to the 2010/11 season, coach Trevor Gleeson was confident heading into 2015 season that he had a team capable of winning Perth’s seventh championship. After conceding his side struggled with chemistry issues the past season Perth added high-profile recruits Casey Prather and Nathan Jawai as well as backup guard Jarrod Kenny to correct team balance.

With the team’s acquisition of Nathan Jawai, a injury-free Matthew Knight was able to move to his natural position of power forward for the first time while Shawn Redhage was moved to a bench role.

This first month of the season begun by losing Damian Martin who suffered a broken jaw and missing teeth following a errant elbow from Townsville Crocodiles forward Brian Conklin. He returned to action by the end of the month, despite originally being ruled out for three weeks. In February, he played his 200th game for the Wildcats.

Perth battled with Melbourne for top spot on the ladder all season, including a head-to-head matchup in December where Jermaine Beal notched up a career high 40 points (sinking 10 three-pointers) as Perth dismantled Melbourne 113-83.

In January we saw Redhage play his 350th NBL game despite averaging under 10 points per game for the first time in his career (6.6 points) as Jervis added 6.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game.

Then the Wildcat’s wrapped up the season with a 18–10 record finishing in second place and reaching the playoffs for the 30th straight season, a streak not matched in any other Australian or American professional sport code.

The Wildcats went on to make light work of the Rob Beveridge-led Illawarra Hawks in game one of the semi finals. Casey Prather leading the Wildcats in scoring with 19 points in their 80-68 victory. In game two, the Hawks would even the score behind perhaps Oscar Forman best playoff game, one where he barely missed and finished with 21 points to defeat the Wildcat’s in convincing fashion, 104–87.

Once the team returned home, Perth would win the series, 2-1 with a concisive 89-74 victory. Jermaine Beal led the team in scoring with 17 points and Prather added another 15 points, including a thunderous one-handed slam over AJ Ogilvy early in the fourth quarter to set up a NBL Finals series against reigning champs, the New Zealand Breakers.

In game one, the Wildcats would rely on Jawai’s presence inside, Prather’s athleticism, tough defence and ability to finish at the rim and Kenny being able to support captain Damian Martin admirably, all the critical areas they were missing the season prior, to take a 1-0 lead behind a six point win (82–76). With game two back in New Zealand, the Breakers evened the score, winning 72–68 on the back of a near triple-double from import Cedric Jackson who finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.

With the deciding game in Perth and 13,090 of the ‘Red Army’ in attendance, the Wildcats’ core of Redhage, Wagstaff, Knight, Hire, Beal and Jervis made sure history didn’t repeat itself. Casey Prather (19 points) and Jermaine Beal (14 points) did most of the damage on the scoreboard for the Wildcats, but it was Martin’s inspirational display in defence that shone the brightest. Martin would be named Grand Final MVP after keeping star Breakers guard Cedric Jackson scoreless in the deciding game as the Wildcat’s claimed their seventh championship in a blowout win (75–52).

BRISBANE BULLETS
2016/17
During the 2016/17 season Jervis averaged 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assist as the Bullets finished in eighth place with a record of 10-18.

2017/18
The 2017/18 season saw Jervis average 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists and play a key role in helping the Bullets to a eighth place finish in the regular season with a 9-19 record.

PERTH WILDCATS
2018/19
During the off-season, Perth managed to re-sign star Bryce Cotton (three-year deal) while also adding Nick Kay and Mitch Norton (both via Illawarra), two-time champion Tom Jervis (via Brisbane), and new import Terrico White (via Korea). These signings led to the exits of Lucas Walker, Jarrod Kenny, and Dexter Kernich-Drew, who all signed with Cairns. Perth’s final roster move was elevating four-year development player Rhys Vague to the full-time roster.

The team traveled to the United States for two pre-season games against NBA teams Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. They suffered a heavy (130–72) loss to the Jazz in their first match, which coach Trevor Gleeson cited as the catalyst for the season’s success. In their second game, they narrowly lost (96–88) to the Denver Nuggets, gaining valuable experience that set the tone for the season.

Perth started the season strongly, boasting a (10–1) record. However, the team’s momentum was disrupted when captain Damian Martin (5.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals) suffered a right calf tear, sidelining him for six games. Compounding the issue, Angus Brandt (8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) missed three games in November due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for the Australian Boomers. These setbacks led to a downturn in form, and by mid-January, the Wildcats had lost eight of their next ten games, bringing their record to (12–9).

Despite external pressure to make roster changes and add a third import, the organisation and coaching staff chose to back the existing playing group. As the roster regained its health, Perth bounced back with three consecutive wins over Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, ultimately reclaiming the top spot on the ladder and finishing the regular season in first place with an (18–10) record.

Perth was led by Bryce Cotton (21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), the league’s MVP and leading scorer, and Nick Kay (14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals), who delivered the best season of his career. Both players earned a selection to the All-NBL First Team. Despite battling injuries in the first half, Terrico White (17.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) emerged as a key contributor by season’s end.

Tom Jervis (3.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) played a reliable role as a veteran presence off the bench, providing crucial minutes in the paint and helping to anchor the Wildcats’ second unit. Jervis’ standout performances included 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks against the Brisbane Bullets on 30 December 2018, 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against the New Zealand Breakers on 10 February 2019, and 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks against the Sydney Kings on 15 January 2019.

Perth went on to face Brisbane in the semi-finals, where Bryce Cotton (19 points, 2 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Terrico White (24 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) led the team to a Game 1 win (89–59), and Tom Jervis (4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) provided steady minutes off the bench. Cameron Gliddon (18 points and 4 rebounds) finished as Brisbane’s top scorer. In Game 2 (84–79), Terrico White (24 points and 3 rebounds) led Perth in scoring, Bryce Cotton (19 points and 10 assists) recorded his first career double-double, and Jervis (0 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) also made a solid contribution. Despite strong efforts from Lamar Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Matthew Hodgson (15 points and 2 blocks), Brisbane couldn’t stop Perth from advancing to the Grand Final to face Melbourne.

Once into the Grand Final series, Perth faced reigning champions Melbourne United. In Game 1 of the Grand Final series (81-71), Perth secured a hard-fought victory despite Bryce Cotton (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) being shut down offensively by Melbourne’s defense. The Wildcats’ win was powered by performances from Terrico White (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Tom Jervis (4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist), who provided key minutes off the bench. Melbourne’s offense was led by Casper Ware (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 2 assists).

Game 2 of the Grand Final series (92-74) saw Melbourne bounce back with a balanced offensive effort led by Casper Ware (14 points and 2 assists), Chris Goulding (14 points and 2 rebounds), DJ Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists), and David Barlow (11 points and 4 rebounds), allowing United to even the series. Despite strong contributions from Bryce Cotton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Terrico White (17 points and 4 rebounds), as well as Tom Jervis (6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) off the bench, Perth couldn’t keep pace with Melbourne United, who proved too strong on the night.

The loss prompted coach Trevor Gleeson to make several adjustments, which led to Perth dominating Game 3 (95-67). Terrico White (31 points and 7 rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists) were unstoppable, combining for 58 points and nearly outscoring Melbourne by themselves, while Jervis (3 points and 2 rebounds) continued to contribute valuable minutes. For Melbourne, DJ Kennedy (13 points and 10 rebounds) and David Barlow (13 points and 5 rebounds) were the only bright spots.

In the deciding Game 4 (97-84), Perth clinched the title with another strong showing from Bryce Cotton (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Terrico White (20 points and 8 rebounds), with Jervis (5 points and 3 rebounds) playing a key role off the bench to help secure the victory. Despite the best efforts from Casper Ware (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 4 assists), Melbourne fell well short. Terrico White, who had faced criticism earlier in the season, was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the four-game series.

2020/21
After winning the previous season’s Grand Final after Sydney withdrew from the remaining two games due to COVID-19 health concerns, Perth struggled during the early stages of NBL21 as the league fought through a number of Covid obstacles. After losing Terrico White and Nick Kay to overseas offers, they chose to sign John Mooney to fill the enormous gap left in the team’s frontcourt. However, when the NBL chose to reduce the number of import roster spots from three to two, Perth was also unable to re-sign import Miles Plumlee. After multiple delays to the start of the season, the competition began but without a permanent schedule, resulting in team’s finding out each week who and where they would play depending on Covid travel limitations.

Perth struggled to find wins during this time, and after five rounds, they sat in seventh place, which is when the league made the decision to move all teams to Melbourne, where it would play eight games as part of the NBL Cup, a attempt to continue the season while escaping Covid related travel restrictions.

It was there Bryce Cotton (23.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) would boost his production, a move which in turn, allowed new signing Todd Blanchfield (via Illawarra) to benefit from the space provided from Cotton’s brilliance and deliver a career-best season. Blanchfield (15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) would set a Wildcat record for most three-pointers made in a season and paired nicely with Mooney (16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals) to form a powerful trio that soon led Perth back to the top of the ladder.

As the season entered its final round it seemed the Wildcats would be hoisting a third straight championship trophy. Fate would intervene, however, with Cotton suffering a season-ending injury during a loss to Melbourne (64–78) in their last game of the season. Cotton would go on to be selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player but was unable to suit up during in Perth’s playoff run.

After Melbourne knocked Perth out of the top spot on the ladder in round 13, a strong finish to the season saw United finish in first place (28-8), while Perth (25-11) claimed second position. After losing the opening game to Illawarra (72–74), Perth received a boost from Luke Travers (13 points and 10 rebounds), who, alongside John Mooney (18 points and 10 rebounds) led the Wildcats to a game two victory (79-71). In game three, Blanchfield (24 points and 5 rebounds) and Mitchell Norton (15 points and 4 rebounds) would step up in Cotton’s absence in game three and lift the undermanned squad over the Illawarra Hawks (79-71) in what was a wild semi-final series.

The Wildcats would then face off against a red-hot Melbourne United, who finished the regular season in first place and had been equally impressive all year.

Both games, one and two, were forced to be played in Perth due to travel restrictions. Despite a hot game from Blanchfield (27 points and 7 rebounds), United survived game one, winning by three points (70–73). Game two followed a similar story as Chris Goulding (21 points) and Jock Landale (12 points and 17 rebounds) proved too good for the limping Wildcats, falling short in game two also (74-83).

With Norton (8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) battling through injury to end the season, the team’s backcourt became even weaker. Despite Kevin White’s best efforts, stepping up to deliver the best three-game performance of his career (10 points in game one, 12 points in game two and 14 points in game three), Perth were never in the series.. With restrictions lifted, game three was held on Melbourne’s home court and in front of a sold-out 5,000-strong crowd at John Cain Arena (the maximum allowed within Covid restrictions). United defeated Perth 81-76 in game three behind a truly dominant performance from Jock Landale (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks). Landale would be named Finals MVP award as Melbourne collected their sixth NBL championship, their second under the United branding.

Tom Jervis played seven seasons in the NBL. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 217 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (836 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.