BIO: Ben Ayre was born and raised in Melbourne (VIC), where he attended De La Salle College and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sandringham Sabres basketball team. At 19 Ayre moved to the United States to attend Skagit Valley College in 2015.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ben Ayre made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

In August 2019, Ayre signed with the Adelaide 36ers as a development player. He appeared in only two games for the 36ers during the 2019/20 NBL season.

Ayre was unable to sign with a NBL team in 2020 and instead signed to play in Lithuania.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2021/22
Ben Ayre joined the Cairns Taipans initially as an unpaid training player after former 36ers coach Joey Wright recommended him to then-coach Mike Kelly. In a season plagued by injuries, where the Taipans never fielded their full roster in any game, Ayre seized the opportunity and was elevated to the active roster on 1 April 2022 as an injury replacement.

On 18 April 2022, in just his sixth appearance for the Taipans, Ayre delivered his standout performance of the season, recording a double-double with 20 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and three steals, including four 3-pointers, in the team’s 92–80 loss to Melbourne United. He became just the third player in the 2021/22 season to post 20 points and 10 assists in a single game, joining Bryce Cotton and Jaylen Adams in achieving the feat.

OK, BEN AYRE.
–
– 2⃣0⃣ PTS
– 4⃣ 3PT
– 4⃣ REB
– 1⃣0⃣ AST
– 3⃣ STL#NBL22 pic.twitter.com/bkOYmEG4W6— The NBL (@NBL) April 19, 2022

2022/23
Ben Ayre secured his first NBL contract, signing a two-year deal (with a second-year club option) following his impressive stint as an injury replacement and a standout off-season campaign with the Taipans’ feeder team. Despite his efforts, at the end of the season, the Taipans chose not to take up the option on Ayre’s contract.

Under head coach Adam Forde, the Taipans endured a challenging season, finishing in last place. However, the groundwork laid during this period set the stage for one of the club’s most successful campaigns in NBL23. Key returnees included leading scorer Tahjere McCall, Majok Deng, Bul Kuol, Mirko Djeric, and Keanu Pinder, who was named the league’s Most Improved Player.

Major departures included Kouat Noi (to Sydney) and Nathan Jawai, who, despite expressing a desire to continue playing, was not re-signed by Cairns or any other NBL team. Forde rebuilt the roster by adding promising big man Sam Waardenburg (3-year deal), who was highly sought after by several NBL teams, and Lat Mayen (Nebraska) and Jonah Antonio (Czech League), both signing multi-year deals. Ayre, following his strong showing the previous season, was elevated to the main roster. Imports Scott Machado and Stephen Zimmerman were replaced by DJ Hogg and Shannon Scott, and the youthful Cairns roster surprised many with a series of upset wins to start the season.

Predicted by many to finish at the bottom of the ladder, the Taipans opened the season with impressive victories over grand finalists Tasmania (106-84), South East Melbourne (85-76), and reigning champions Sydney (83-78), racing to a 5-1 record, their only loss coming against Perth (76-105).

Among their notable victories, Cairns defeated Melbourne United twice. In the first encounter, they outscored Melbourne 11-1 in the final four minutes to claim an 81-77 win, lifting them to second place on the ladder. Forde hailed Pinder (26 points, 10 rebounds) as the league’s best center after the game. In their second meeting, Cairns cruised to a 97-72 victory after leading by as much as 40 points in the final quarter, marking their first home win of the season. Pinder recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kuol added 18 points, Hogg 17, and Ayre contributed 16 points off the bench.

A hallmark of the Taipans’ season was their ability to snap opposition win streaks, including ending Brisbane’s three-game streak in November (90-82) and the Kings’ record 17-game road winning streak in a thrilling overtime win (94-88).

Cairns spent much of the season in second or third place on the ladder but faced a major setback when Pinder suffered an ankle injury in December. Despite media predictions that they would fall down the standings, the Taipans went on a five-game winning streak, including victories over Adelaide (86-83), Illawarra (96-89), Brisbane (107-81), South East Melbourne (94-85), and another win over Illawarra (89-84), followed by a close win against New Zealand (85-83).

In the final month of the season, Pinder was sidelined again, this time with an eye injury, which ruled him out for the playoffs. Cairns and New Zealand traded blows for second place in the final fortnight, with Cairns finishing the season by defeating Perth (84-71). Although this momentarily lifted them to second, New Zealand’s back-to-back wins over Brisbane and Illawarra dropped Cairns to third place, forcing them into the NBL’s inaugural play-in tournament.

Facing Perth without Pinder, a history-making performance from DJ Hogg (32 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists), the highest-scoring playoff game by a Taipan, secured a 91-78 victory and a semifinal berth against Sydney.

In Game 1 of the semifinals, the Taipans were without Tahjere McCall, who had suffered a partially dislocated shoulder in the Seeding Qualifier against Tasmania. Xavier Cooks (27 points, 14 rebounds) led Sydney to a 95-87 victory. Game 2, however, was filled with drama, including the ejection of Kings’ coach Chase Buford and several physical altercations. Amidst the chaos, DJ Hogg (25 points, 8 rebounds) and McCall (20 points, 7 assists) powered Cairns to a 93-82 win, forcing a decisive Game 3.

In the deciding game, Sydney’s Dejan Vasiljevic, a non-factor in the first two games, landed three crucial three-pointers, leading the Kings with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Cooks added 11 points and 11 rebounds as Sydney held Cairns to their lowest score of the season, defeating them 79-64 to advance to the Championship Series. Ben Ayre was Cairns’ top scorer in the final game, finishing with 20 points (4-8 from three) and 4 assists.

Hogg (18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks) led the Taipans in scoring and was named to the All-NBL Second Team alongside Pinder (16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals). Pinder also made history as the first player to win the Most Improved Player award twice. Rookie Sam Waardenburg (11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists) earned the league’s Next Generation Award, which replaced the Rookie of the Year award that season.

Ayre appeared in 32 games throughout the season, averaging 5.8 points, 1 rebound, and 1.4 assists per game.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2023/24
Melbourne born Ayre returned to his home state in 2023, signing a two year deal with the Phoenix after a breakout year with the Cairns Taipans in NBL23.

“I made the decision to sign with South East because of the vision Mike (Kelly) has for this ball club and the opportunity I have to grow with this group,” said Ayre on signing with the Phoenix.

“Representing my hometown is something special and I look forward to giving my all every night for this crowd.”

2024/25
Following a wooden spoon finish in 2023/24, South East Melbourne entered the 2024/25 season in full rebuild mode. Franchise leader Mitch Creek departed to play in Turkey, while import centre Alan Williams was released despite averaging a double-double the previous season. The Phoenix also saw six other players exit the club including Reuben Te Rangi (to Tasmania), Kody Stattmann (to Cairns), Rhys Vague (to Japan), and Gorjok Gak (to Tasmania). To offset these departures, the club brought in a new core group—veteran Boomers guard Nathan Sobey (via Brisbane), championship-winning duo Jordan Hunter and Angus Glover (both via Sydney), and imports Derrick Walton Jr., Joe Wieskamp, and Matt Hurt.

Mike Kelly returned for a second year as head coach but was let go just five games into the season after a disastrous 0–5 start, culminating in a 2-point home loss to Brisbane on October 12. Assistant coach Sam Mackinnon stepped in as interim and immediately led the Phoenix to their first win, a 93–84 road victory over Melbourne United. Jordan Hunter led with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Angus Glover added 8 assists and Nathan Sobey contributed 16 points and 5 boards. That breakthrough was followed by a 26-point road win over the Breakers, before the team fell narrowly to Illawarra. Soon after, the club announced American Josh King as permanent head coach. King, who previously coached in Turkey and Germany, was lauded for his high-tempo, modern philosophy. GM Simon Mitchell praised King’s “clear vision, high energy style, and tactical sharpness,” and the new coach quickly made his mark.

King debuted with a narrow 79–77 win over Tasmania and a blowout 100–76 home win against Perth. His appointment triggered a dramatic turnaround, with South East Melbourne winning seven of their next nine games and climbing from last on the ladder to the top four by mid-January. Under King, the Phoenix closed the regular season with a 16–13 record, becoming the first team in the NBL’s 40-minute era to reach the playoffs after starting 0–5. The team went 16–8 under King and averaged over 5,300 fans per game at home, including a sellout against Sydney. King was later named runner-up in Coach of the Year voting.

South East Melbourne’s regular season was powered by a resurgent core. Matt Hurt (20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) became the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, dominating in the mid-post and stretching the floor. He delivered back-to-back 30-point games late in the season and scored 33 points (13/17 FG) in a critical Round 17 win at Cairns. Nathan Sobey (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) was a consistent presence, finding his best form in January with seven 20+ point performances in a nine-game span. Jordan Hunter (10.6 points, 7 rebounds) provided a strong interior anchor, tying Hurt as the team’s top rebounder and posting double-digit boards in multiple games. Joe Wieskamp (10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds) offered a steady perimeter scoring option, while sixth man Angus Glover (9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) added pace and outside shooting. Derrick Walton Jr. (11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) started the year strongly but missed the final two months after re-tearing his hamstring on a slick regional court in Traralgon on January 11.

Rookie Malique Lewis (7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) emerged as a valuable rotation piece in his debut year, earning praise for his athleticism and hustle. Owen Foxwell (7.9 points and 2.5 assists) played an expanded role due to Walton’s injury and produced multiple double-digit scoring games off the bench.

The Phoenix entered the postseason via the new NBL Play-In Tournament. After a seeding loss to Perth, South East Melbourne hosted Adelaide in a do-or-die game for a semi-final berth. Trailing by 19 at the half, the Phoenix surged in the second, riding 25 points from Matt Hurt and a 17-point breakout from Ben Ayre to win 85–75. The result marked the largest comeback in the play-in round and sealed the club’s return to the semi-finals for the second time in its history.

Game 1 of the semi-finals saw the Phoenix fall 101–94 to Illawarra in Wollongong, despite 22 points from Joe Wieskamp and 11 assists from Walton Jr. Returning home for Game 2, the Phoenix responded with a 101–94 win. Matt Hurt delivered 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting with four threes, Sobey added 25 points and 8 rebounds, and Glover chipped in 16 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists against his former team. The Game 2 win was South East Melbourne’s first-ever playoff victory and forced a deciding Game 3.

Game 3 returned to Wollongong, where the Hawks blew the contest open early and eliminated South East Melbourne with a 126–96 rout. Joe Wieskamp (25 points) and Matt Hurt (19 points) led the Phoenix offensively, but Illawarra’s depth overwhelmed the visitors. Ben Ayre (4.5 points and 1.4 assists) stuggled to build on his last few season, often finding himself lost in the rotation. This would lead to his eventual event to play in Tasmania the following year.

Ben Ayre currently plays for the South East Melbourne Phoenix and has played 88 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 6.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists since entering the league in 2019.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

South East Melbourne Phoenix – Signed with TAS

Dan Boyce (855 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.