NBL EXPERIENCE

Ben Griscti made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

The 36ers entered the 2024/25 season with a reshaped roster, headlined by departures of Mitch McCarron (to New Zealand), Jacob Wiley (to Spain), Tohi Smith-Milner (to Brisbane), Kyrin Galloway (to Cairns), Trey Kell III (to Illawarra), Akech Aliir (to Melbourne), and Next Star Trentyn Flowers, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Adelaide retained Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries on new three-year deals, while Fiston Ipassou, Keanu Rasmussen, and Jacob Rigoni also re-signed. The club brought in Lat Mayen (via Cairns), Patrick D’Arcy (via NBL1), and exciting local big man Ben Griscti, fresh from a collegiate stint at UC Riverside. The 21-year-old was also targeted by AFL clubs Adelaide and Port Adelaide before committing to basketball. Griscti, who previously trained with the 36ers in high school, called his return “a dream come true.”

“This signing was really important for us, we see Ben as a big piece for the club moving forward,” GM of Basketball Operations Matt Weston said upon signing Griscti.

“Ben is 211cm, is strong at both ends of the floor, but also has the ability to step out and knock down the three, which is what all teams require now from that position.”

Griscti joined a rebuilt frontcourt that included Jarell Martin (via Galatasaray) and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. The 36ers also signed import point guard Kendric Davis to lead the backcourt and added veteran Jason Cadee and replacement player Tom Kubank to round out the squad.

Adelaide opened with two losses, including a 94–102 defeat to Sydney. A 93–83 win over South East Melbourne on October 3 sparked five wins in six games. Highlights included a 102–100 upset at Illawarra and an October 25 thriller against Cairns where Harrell posted 36 points and 16 rebounds. By month’s end, the 36ers were 5–3 and finding offensive rhythm.

Mid-season adversity struck in November. Harrell and Davis were suspended after a November 17 clash with Melbourne, and Adelaide dropped seven of eight games. Despite a 36-point, 9-assist outing from Davis against New Zealand on December 14 and a season-high 37 points in a loss to Perth, the 36ers fell to 7–11 by Christmas. Griscti logged a season-best 7 minutes in a November 30 loss to Tasmania, adding 2 rebounds and a block in his most active showing of the year.

January brought resurgence. Adelaide stunned Melbourne United 100–81 on January 4 behind 28-point efforts from Davis and Harrell, then pushed Tasmania to overtime in a 103–104 loss, where Davis exploded for 39 points. Four straight wins followed, including a 99–75 rout of Cairns and a 105–96 win in Sydney. Griscti’s growth was evident throughout this stretch in practice settings, shadowing Isaac Humphries and learning from veterans like Vasiljevic.

Adelaide closed the regular season at 13–15, earning 6th spot via tiebreaker. They averaged 97.9 points per game but struggled defensively. In the February 13 play-in, they defeated Sydney 95–88, with Harrell posting 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Three nights later, they bowed out in an 85–75 loss to South East Melbourne, ending their postseason return.

While Ben Griscti’s (1.2 points, 0.8 rebounds) rookie campaign was limited to short stints in seven appearances, Kendric Davis (25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.8 assists) led the league in both scoring and assists and swept the Mark Davis Trophy (Club MVP), Members’ Choice MVP, and All-NBL First Team honours. Montrezl Harrell (20.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) anchored the frontcourt and was named to the All-NBL Second Team. Dejan Vasiljevic (18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the club in threes and starred in the play-in win. Sunday Dech (5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) earned Best Defensive Player, while Jason Cadee took out the Coaches’ Award, and head coach Mike Wells received the Chairman’s Award.

Ben Griscti currently plays for the Adelaide 36ers and has played 7 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 0.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.1 assists since entering the league in 2024.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Adelaide 36ers – 3 Year Deal (2024-27)

Dan Boyce (854 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.