Who is the favourite for the 2023/24 NBL Season
March 27, 2023
Austin Rapp
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 20/08/2005
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 202
- Weight (KG): 106
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Knox
- College: Portland (2024-2026)
- NBL DEBUT: 28/09/23
- AGE AT DEBUT: 18
- LAST NBL GAME: 17/02/24
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 18
- NBL History: South East Melbourne 2024
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Austin Rapp was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Knox basketball program.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Austin Rapp made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Phoenix at 18 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.
After finishing fifth and losing the NBL23 Play-In Qualifier to Perth, South East Melbourne entered Mike Kelly’s first season as head coach without Kyle Adnam, Junior Madut (to Tasmania), Trey Kell III and Tohi Smith-Milner (both to Adelaide), Dane Pineau (to New Zealand), and Ryan Broekhoff (retired). Kelly retained Mitch Creek, Alan Williams and Gary Browne while adding Ben Ayre (via Cairns), Gorjok Gak (via Brisbane), Matt Kenyon (via Tasmania), Rhys Vague (via Japan), Craig Moller (via Germany), Will Cummings (via China), and development player Austin Rapp.
South East Melbourne opened the season against Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on September 28, where Rapp (2 points and 1 rebound) scored on his only shot during a 52-second NBL debut. Ayre (17 points) and Cummings (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led the Phoenix, while Travers (20 points and 8 rebounds) starred as United won 82-67.
Rapp (2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds across 7 games) had spent the previous season as a 17-year-old training player before catching Kelly’s attention at an Australian Under-19 camp and signing a one-year development-player contract. He turned 18 before NBL24 began and entered the season after helping Knox win the NBL1 South and NBL1 National championships, producing 14 points and 12 rebounds in the national final against Rockingham.
“I grew up watching Phoenix play, and being able to enjoy that with my basketball teammates throughout my junior basketball years was amazing. So, the decision was easy, Phoenix is in the Heartland which is my home, and I’ve always dreamed of playing for them,” Rapp said at the time of signing his first NBL contract.
Injuries opened greater opportunities late in the season and, fresh from hitting the championship-winning shot for Victoria at the Australian Under-20 Championships, Rapp (1 point, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made his first NBL start against Tasmania on February 10. Nader (19 points and 3 assists) and Ayre (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) led South East Melbourne, while Magnay (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) was Tasmania’s best in a 94-67 JackJumpers victory.
Creek (20.8 points and 6.7 rebounds), Williams (16.7 points and 10.9 rebounds), Browne (13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals), and Ayre (10.7 points) led the injury-hit Phoenix, who lost 11 of their final 12 games, finished last with a 10-18 record and missed the postseason.
South East Melbourne’s season ended at John Cain Arena on February 17, where Foxwell (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Creek (13 points) led the Phoenix, while Hogg (25 points and 7 rebounds) powered Sydney to a 122-67 victory. It was also his best scoring game, with Rapp (7 points and 2 rebounds) making two three-pointers and playing 12:48 in the loss.
Austin Rapp played one season in the NBL. He averaged 2.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 7 NBL games.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 18 | South East Melbourne | 10-18 (10) | 7 | 55 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 25% | 3 | 13 | 23% | 2 | 4 | 50% | 34% | 33% | 7 | Totals | 7 | 55 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 25.0% | 3 | 13 | 23.1% | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 34% | 33% | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 18 | South East Melbourne | 10-18 (10) | 7 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 25% | 0.4 | 1.9 | 23% | 0.3 | 0.6 | 50% | 34% | 33% | 7 | Total | 7 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 25.0% | 0.0 | 23.1% | 0.4 | 1.9 | 50.0% | 34% | 33% | 7 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Knox (2023–2024)
Rapp joined Knox for the 2023 NBL1 South season and was part of the Raiders team that won both the NBL1 South championship and the NBL1 National Championship that year. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds across the South season, then closed the year strongly in Perth when Knox went to the National Finals with only seven available players. At the end of that 2023 title run, Rapp produced 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals a game, and during the National Finals he averaged 16.0 points and 9.3 rebounds across the three games. He scored 26 points with 11 rebounds and two blocks against the Sutherland Sharks to send Knox into the Championship Game, then had 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the five-point title win over Rockingham as Knox completed the national crown.
Rapp returned to Knox for the 2024 NBL1 South season. He opened the year with 27 points and six rebounds against Casey, had 24 points and nine rebounds against Kilsyth in June, and produced a 33-point, 12-rebound performance with six made three-pointers against Mount Gambier in July. His 2024 season also brought the NBL1 South Men’s Youth Player of the Year award. Knox finished seventh in the South and its title defence ended with an elimination-final loss to Dandenong.
Knox still advanced to the 2024 NBL1 National Finals as defending national champion, and Rapp again played a major role in another title run. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in the win over Maitland, and across the Sunshine Coast finals he averaged 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks while making nine three-pointers in three games. In the championship game against Mackay, he added 16 points and 12 rebounds as Knox won 87-84 to secure back-to-back NBL1 National Championships.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Rapp was part of the U17 National team who defended its U16 title in 2022 at the FIBA U17 Asia Cup. Across the tournament, Rapp contributed a average of 6.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks.
COLLEGE
Austin Rapp began his NCAA Division I career at the University of Portland, joining the Portland Pilots for the 2024–25 season after a standout junior basketball career in Australia and time as a development player with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
In his freshman season at Portland in 2024–25, Rapp started 30 of 31 games and made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game while playing 33.0 minutes per game.
He shot 39.7 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from three-point range, and 81.5 percent at the free throw line, with 83 three-pointers made that led all West Coast Conference players and ranked second among all NCAA freshmen.
Rapp’s ability to stretch the floor was underscored by his 2.7 made three-pointers per game, the highest national average for players 6-foot-9 or taller during the 2024–25 season.
Defensively, he also contributed significantly with 45 blocks and 201 defensive rebounds, both of which ranked second in the West Coast Conference.
His consistent performance included four double-doubles and four games with 20 or more points throughout the season, and he was a frequent contributor on both ends of the court for Portland.
For his efforts, Rapp was recognised as the 2024–25 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and was also a recipient of six WCC Freshman of the Week honours, becoming one of the most decorated freshmen in the conference.
Prior to his NCAA career, Rapp played as an 18-year-old with the Australian South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL and the NBL1 with the Knox Raiders, contributing to a 2024 NBL1 National Championship performance of 16 points and 12 rebounds in the title game.
Internationally, he represented Australia at the 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championship and the FIBA U17 World Cup, and he also led Victoria to a Basketball Australia U20 National Championship, where he scored 32 points and 13 rebounds and hit a game-winning fadeaway at the buzzer.
Following his standout freshman season at Portland, Rapp entered the NCAA transfer portal and transferred to the University of Wisconsin, becoming a member of the Wisconsin Badgers for the 2025–26 season.
In the early portion of the 2025–26 season with Wisconsin, he appeared in games and was averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game through a partial schedule of appearances as he adjusted to Big Ten Conference competition.
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