Andrew Svaldenis
July 23, 2020
Vince Kelley
- Nationality: USA/AUS
- Date of Birth:
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California (USA)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 201
- Weight (KG): 95
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Colorado (1980–1984)
- NBL DEBUT: 13/04/85
- AGE AT DEBUT: 0
- LAST NBL GAME: 19/09/87
- NBL History: Bankstown 1985 | West Sydney 1986-87
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Vince Kelley was born in Los Angeles, California (USA) and attended Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California.
The school’s basketball team was the nation’s top-ranked team in 1980, going undefeated and winning the national championship, with Kelley playing alongside future NBA players Jay Humphries and Ralph Jackson.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Vince Kelley made his NBL debut with the Bankstown Bruins on 13/4/1985. He scored 30 points in his first game.
By 1985, the gap between professional and semi-professional NBL clubs had widened considerably. Financially outmatched, the Bankstown Bruins struggled to remain competitive. The offseason saw the departure of cornerstone imports Eric Claus and Cliff Martin, who had led the team offensively during its most successful stretch. In their place arrived the explosive American duo of Vince Kelley and Vince Hinchen.
Despite their limited resources, Bankstown pulled off a major recruitment coup by signing reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Keogh from Nunawading. Fresh off a 20-point-per-game campaign, Keogh joined the Bruins in search of a larger role and greater minutes under returning coach Robbie Cadee.
The season began with a difficult opener against Keogh’s former club. Despite big games from Hinchen (36 points) and Kelley (30-point, 13-rebound), Bankstown fell to Nunawading 109–96, with Robert Scrigni torching the Bruins for 32 points on 14-of-18 shooting. A tight 92–89 loss to Canberra followed before the Bruins finally broke through with their first win of the season, against Geelong (107–103)—a game where Kelley (37 points and 22 rebounds), Hinchen (30 points), and Keogh (17 points and 9 assists) combined to show what this Bruins team was capable of on their best night.
However, any early momentum quickly evaporated. Bankstown dropped their next nine games, including a brutal loss to Coburg (115–144) where Bennie Lewis exploded for 43 points (18-of-29 shooting), 14 assists, and 5 steals. Despite Kelley (30 points) and Hinchen (21 points) being the primary scorers for Bankstown again, Bankstown’s defense was non-existent.
Another painful defeat during this stretch came against the Adelaide 36ers in a high-scoring shootout, where ‘The Two Vinces’ combined for 83 of the team’s 110 points—Hinchen (43 points) and Kelley (40 points and 15 rebounds) having explosive games but the Bruins falling short (110–117).
Kelley (31.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks) and Hinchen (30.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists) started the season as one of the NBL’s most potent offensive duos. Keogh (13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists), expected to flourish in a larger role, found the transition difficult and was unable to replicate his output from the previous year.
Beyond the imports, second-year forward Andrew Svaldenis was a bright spot (11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds), with other key contributors including Tony Barnett (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), Greg Hemmings (6.4 points, 2.1 assists), and Mark Cumberbatch (5.1 points, 3.8 rebounds).
With the team slumping to a 2–13 record, Vince Hinchen departed the club, and the Bruins limped through the remainder of the year, but managed to close on a rare high.
In their final game of the season, Bankstown edged the Sydney Supersonics 90–89. Keogh erupted for 24 points, hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc. Kelley (35 points and 9 rebounds) and Svaldenis (13 points and 9 boards) also stepped up in the win.
Bankstown finished the 1985 campaign with a 6–20 record, placing twelfth in the league. Despite boasting two of the NBL’s most prolific scorers, the Bruins were undone by poor defense, roster instability, and financial struggles. At season’s end, the club was renamed the West Sydney Westars, marking the end of the Bankstown Bruins’ seven-year run in the NBL.
Vince Kelley played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Bankstown Bruins and the West Sydney Westars. He averaged 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 77 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 14th in points per game.
– 30th in rebounds per game.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 0 | West Sydney | 8-18 (11) | 25 | 1,110.0 | 599 | 235 | 54 | 95 | 140 | 30 | 13 | 63 | 86 | 253 | 582 | 43% | 7 | 27 | 26% | 86 | 120 | 72% | 47% | 44% | 33 |
| 1986 | 0 | West Sydney | 15-12 (4) | 27 | 0.0 | 782 | 337 | 62 | 136 | 201 | 33 | 33 | 78 | 85 | 329 | 746 | 44% | 2 | 10 | 20% | 122 | 175 | 70% | 47% | 44% | 43 |
| 1985 | 0 | Bankstown | 6-20 (12) | 25 | 0.0 | 790 | 315 | 38 | 123 | 192 | 29 | 40 | 88 | 81 | 347 | 638 | 54% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 94 | 131 | 72% | 56% | 55% | 51 | Totals | 77 | 1110 | 2171 | 887 | 154 | 354 | 533 | 92 | 86 | 229 | 252 | 929 | 1966 | 47.3% | 11 | 43 | 25.6% | 302 | 426 | 70.9% | 50% | 48% | 51 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 0 | West Sydney | 8-18 (11) | 25 | 44.4 | 24.0 | 9.4 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 23.3 | 43% | 0.3 | 1.1 | 26% | 3.4 | 4.8 | 72% | 47% | 44% | 33 |
| 1986 | 0 | West Sydney | 15-12 (4) | 27 | 0.0 | 29.0 | 12.5 | 2.3 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 12.2 | 27.6 | 44% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 20% | 4.5 | 6.5 | 70% | 47% | 44% | 43 |
| 1985 | 0 | Bankstown | 6-20 (12) | 25 | 0.0 | 31.6 | 12.6 | 1.5 | 4.9 | 7.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 13.9 | 25.5 | 54% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 33% | 3.8 | 5.2 | 72% | 56% | 55% | 51 | Total | 77 | 14.4 | 28.2 | 11.5 | 2.0 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 12.1 | 25.5 | 47.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.6% | 0.1 | 0.6 | 70.9% | 50% | 48% | 51 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 51 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Mandurah 1990 | Wanneroo 1991-1997 | Rockingham 1998-1999 | Mandurah 2000-2001 | East Perth 2002
Mandurah 1990, 29g, 1062pt @ 36.6 Wanneroo 1991-1997, 196g, 5377pt @ 27.4 Rockingham 1998-1999, 59g, 1339pt @ 22.7 Mandurah 2000-2001, 44g, 1045pt @ 23.8 East Perth 2002, 23g, 605pt @ 26.3
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Portugal - Ginásio Figueirense (1988–1989)
Kelley joined Ginásio for the 1988 season in Portugal, helping the club win the Portuguese second division that year.
Kelley remained with Ginásio for the 1988–1989 season.
COLLEGE
Vince Kelley played college basketball at Colorado from 1980–81 through 1983–84, appearing in 112 games and finishing his career with 1,180 points and 730 rebounds.
Kelley began his Colorado career in 1980–81, a season the Buffaloes finished 16–12 overall and 5–9 in Big Eight play. He played 28 games with 6 starts, averaging 18.9 minutes per game while producing 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing, and he shot 51.8% from the field and 60.3% at the free-throw line that season.
In 1981–82, Colorado went 11–16 overall and 3–11 in conference action, and Kelley moved into a full-time starting role by starting all 27 games he played. He averaged 32.1 minutes per game and posted 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 74.8% at the line.
As a junior in 1982–83, Kelley earned All-Big Eight Conference Honorable Mention honours while helping Colorado to a 13–15 overall record and a 3–11 mark in league play. He started 28 games and logged 35.5 minutes per night, averaging 11.7 points and a career-best 9.1 rebounds per game, along with 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks, while shooting 43.6% from the floor and 61.4% on free throws.
Kelley’s senior season in 1983–84 saw Colorado finish 16–13 overall and 6–8 in Big Eight play, tied for fourth in the conference, and he started all 29 games he played. He averaged 33.6 minutes per game and contributed 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, with additional production of 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per contest, while shooting 43.3% from the field and 74.3% at the stripe.
Across his four years at Colorado, Kelley often played the low post for an undersized Colorado team, and he completed his career with averages of 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game across 112 appearances while shooting 45.0% from the field and 68.6% on free throws. He graduated with 730 rebounds, which placed him third on the school’s all-time rebounds list at the time and remains a top-10 mark in program history.
AWARDS
- SBL MVP (1992)
Related
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