2022-2023 NBL Depth Charts
February 7, 2023
Koen Sapwell
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 13/03/99
- Place of Birth: Adelaide (SA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 191
- Weight (KG): 83
- Junior Assoc: SA - Central Districts
- College: Cal State Monterey Bay (2017-2020)
- NBL DEBUT: 4/12/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 21/12/22
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 23
- NBL History: South East Melbourne 2022 | Brisbane 2023
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Koen Sapwell was born in Adelaide (SA) and is the son of ex-NBL player Rupert Sapwell, who played for five NBL team’s across his career. He attended Trinity College (Adelaide) and represented his state in Under 16’s and 18’s, before moving to the United States to play college ball at Cal State Monterey Bay. He returned to Australia in 2021 sign on to play with the Hobart Chargers in the NBL1 South Season.
At the end of the 2021 NBL season Sapwell spent training with the Cairns Taipans and the Devonport Warriors in the 2021 NWBU state league competition before signing a development player deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
FAMILY: Koen Sapwell is the son of Rupert Sapwell who played 359 games in the NBL.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Koen Sapwell made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Phoenix at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After making their maiden Finals appearance the year prior, South East Melbourne re-signed coach Simon Mitchell to a one-year deal and retained Kyle Adnam, Ryan Broekhoff, Izayah Le’Afa and Mitch Creek. Keifer Sykes (to NBA) and Yanni Wetzell (to New Zealand) exited, with Tohi Smith-Milner (via Melbourne), Zhou Qi (via Xinjiang), Xavier Munford (via Bursaspor) and Zach Hankins added, although a knee injury suffered by Hankins during NBA Summer League ruled him out before the season.
Sapwell (via Hobart) joined South East Melbourne as a development player two days before the season opener, joining Owen Foxwell and Tristan Forsyth on the development list. “I have been working on some stuff for a while to get a position like this,” Sapwell said.
Sapwell (0 points in 2:28) made his NBL debut against New Zealand at John Cain Arena on December 4 as South East Melbourne won 89-65, with Munford (27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Creek (19 points) leading the Phoenix, while Finn Delany (18 points and 9 rebounds) was New Zealand’s best.
Sapwell (1 point across 2 games) remained outside the regular rotation as a development player and did not miss time through injury or illness. His limited appearances were a result of his development-player role, with his second opportunity coming when Adnam, Cameron Gliddon, Dane Pineau and Reuben Te Rangi were unavailable through COVID protocols.
Sapwell’s best game and final appearance came against Perth on February 5, where Sapwell (2 points in 1:22) made his only field goal as the COVID-affected Phoenix lost 101-79. Munford (18 points) and Creek (17 points and 9 rebounds) led South East Melbourne, while Luke Travers (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Bryce Cotton (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Perth.
BRISBANE BULLETS
2022/23
After finishing eighth with a 10-18 record, Brisbane lost Robert Franks (to Adelaide), Anthony Drmic (to Adelaide), Deng Deng (to Illawarra), and Chuanxing Liu (to the Bay Area Dragons), while Lamar Patterson, Isaiah Moss, Jack Salt, and Tom Digbeu were not retained. Nathan Sobey, Jason Cadee, Tyrell Harrison, and Tanner Krebs returned, with Aron Baynes (via Toronto), Tyler Johnson (via San Antonio), Devondrick Walker (via Rockingham), Harry Froling (via Illawarra), Gorjok Gak (via Nymburk), DJ Mitchell (via Gold Coast), and Kody Stattmann (via Virginia) added.
Koen Sapwell had spent NBL22 as a development player with South East Melbourne before playing with Ballarat in NBL1 and becoming a Brisbane training partner. He signed as a replacement player for Krebs on December 4 after the starting wing suffered an ankle injury against Perth.
The replacement guard (0 points) made his Bullets debut at John Cain Arena on December 10, playing 1:44 as Sobey (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal), Gak (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal), and Cadee (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Brisbane, but Tucker (20 points) and Goulding (20 points) helped Melbourne win 104-88.
Sapwell (3 games) remained at the end of Brisbane’s rotation while Krebs recovered, playing fewer than four minutes in each of his appearances. His limited opportunities resulted from his replacement-player status and the experienced guards and wings already ahead of him.
His best game came at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 17, where he scored 2 points in 3:50 as Cadee (18 points and 2 steals), White (12 points and 5 rebounds), and Mitchell (12 points) led Brisbane, while Franks (25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) carried Adelaide to a 108-77 victory.
His final appearance came at Nissan Arena on December 21, where he played 1:49 and finished with 0 points as Sobey (31 points and 4 rebounds), Baynes (14 points and 8 rebounds), and Mitchell (14 points and 5 rebounds) led Brisbane, but Creek (29 points and 5 rebounds) helped South East Melbourne win 104-77. Krebs returned from his ankle injury six days later.
Johnson (15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals), Sobey (15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists), Baynes (11.7 points and 7.8 rebounds), Cadee (11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists), Mitchell (9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds), Krebs (8.3 points and 3 rebounds), White (7.7 points and 3.1 rebounds), and Froling (5.4 points and 4 rebounds) were Brisbane’s main contributors. Sobey received the Leroy Loggins Trophy as club MVP, Johnson was named Members MVP and Players’ Player, Baynes received the Defensive Player of the Year award, Cadee won the St Genevieve Partners’ Choice Award, and Matt Johns was named Youth Player of the Year.
Brisbane closed its season at Nissan Arena on February 4, where Baynes (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Johnson (15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) pushed New Zealand into overtime, but Brantley (19 points and 5 rebounds) and McDowell-White (15 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals) led the Breakers to an 80-75 victory as Brisbane finished ninth with an 8-20 record.
Koen Sapwell played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Brisbane Bullets and the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 24 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 34% | 0% | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | South East Melbourne | 15-13 (6) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 33% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 33% | 0% | 2 | Totals | 5 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20.0% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | 0% | 0% | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 24 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 3 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.7 | 0.7 | 100% | 34% | 0% | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | South East Melbourne | 15-13 (6) | 2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 33% | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 33% | 0% | 2 | Total | 5 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 20.0% | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.2 | 100.0% | 0% | 0% | 2 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Hobart (2021), Ballarat (2022), Southern Districts (2023), Central Districts (2024–2026)
In 2021, After spending three years playing at Cal State Monterey Bay, Sapwell returned home to play with the Hobart Chargers for the 2021 NBL1 South season after returning from Cal State Monterey Bay, with the 6-foot-3 guard averaging 16.66 points, 3.80 rebounds and 1.66 assists while shooting 44 per cent from the field. He also shot 45 per cent from three-point range during the season and had one of his strongest games against Ballarat with 26 points.
Hobart also used him as a starting-level scorer throughout 2021, including 15 points and 10 rebounds against Eltham, 20 points against Knox, and 11 points in the Chargers’ season-opening loss to North West Tasmania.
Ballarat Miners signed Sapwell for the 2022 NBL1 South season after his Hobart year, adding him to a roster built to contend in the conference. He averaged 16.7 points per game and was part of a Miners team that also featured Nic Pozoglou, David Crisp, Preston Bungei and Deng Gak.
The Ballarat stint included several scoring performances above 20 points, with Sapwell leading the Miners with 21 points in a win over Kilsyth, top-scoring with 22 points in a Round 15 game, producing 31 points and four steals in a win over Bendigo, and recording a 33-point game against Melbourne.
Southern Districts Spartans added Sapwell for the 2023 NBL1 North season, where he became the team’s leading offensive option and won the Spartans men’s MVP. He averaged 25.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 53 per cent from the field.
The 2023 season included a 25-point, six-steal performance for Southern Districts against Ipswich and another major scoring display in a 104–82 road win over North Gold Coast, continuing a run that placed him among the top scorers in NBL1 North before his move to Germany with Dresden for 2023–2024.
Central Districts Lions signed Sapwell for the 2024 NBL1 Central season, bringing the Adelaide guard back to his junior club. He averaged 22 points, six rebounds and four assists during the season while playing as a primary guard for the Lions.
Central Districts retained Sapwell for the 2025 NBL1 Central season and he helped the Lions reach the NBL1 Central Championship Game. In the semi-final win over first-placed Forestville, he finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and three blocks as Central Districts won 107–74.
Sapwell continued with Central Districts into the 2026 NBL1 Central season, with the early-season numbers showing 16.50 points, 4.50 rebounds, 4.50 assists, 1.50 steals and 1.50 blocks while remaining one of the Lions’ main guards.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Germany - Dresden Titans (2023–2025) | Finland - KTP Basket (2025–2026)
Sapwell joined Dresden Titans for the 2023–24 German ProA season in Germany, and he averaged 13.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 34 games while shooting 80.5 percent from the free throw line.
Sapwell remained with Dresden Titans for the 2024–25 German ProA season, and he averaged 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 32 games while improving his field goal percentage to 44.6 percent and three-point percentage to 37.9 percent.
Sapwell joined KTP Basket for the 2025–26 Finnish Korisliiga season, and he averaged 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 38 games while ranking among the league leaders in scoring.
COLLEGE
Koen Sapwell played three seasons of college basketball at California State University Monterey Bay from 2017–18 through 2019–20, competing for the Otters in NCAA competition before moving on to a professional career.
As a freshman in 2017–18, Sapwell made an immediate impact by starting his first 23 games, setting a school freshman record for starts in a season, and finishing the year with 25 games started out of 26. He shot well from long range, making 46 three-pointers, which tied for No. 13 on the Cal State Monterey Bay single-season list, and scored in double figures on seven occasions while leading the team in scoring twice and assists four times.
In his sophomore season in 2018–19, Sapwell led the Otters in scoring at 12.0 points per game and produced double-figure scoring in 17 of 26 games. He matched his career high of 22 points against Fresno Pacific on December 19 and made 55 three-pointers, ranking No. 11 on the CSUMB single-season list. Sapwell also made a career-high six 3-pointers in a win over Cal State San Bernardino on February 2 and matched a career high with five assists at Cal State LA on February 9.
During that 2018–19 campaign, he showed scoring versatility, hitting multiple long-range shots and pacing the Otters in key offensive categories while also contributing rebounds and hustle plays, helping the team remain competitive in Western Collegiate Athletic Association play.
One notable performance from Sapwell’s Monterey Bay career came on January 5, 2019, when he scored 21 points with five three-pointers in a strong individual outing against Stanislaus State, demonstrating his ability to carry the scoring load in big games.
Across his three-year NCAA career at Cal State Monterey Bay, Sapwell’s long-range shooting and scoring consistency placed him among the program’s all-time contributors in three-point field goals, and his early-career accomplishments helped establish him as one of the most productive guards in the Otters’ recent history.
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