NICKNAME/S: Pep

BIO: Ben Pepper was born in Geraldton (WA) and attended John Willcock Senior High. He was a very promising junior cricketer and golfer and only started playing basketball in his mid teens after being talked into playing by his mates and a coach at the Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association to give it a go.

Shortly after he was spotted by Newcastle Falcons coach Shawn Dennis who invited him to join his team and a tour with them, this quickly led to Ben signing his first professional contract and moving to the Hunter Valley.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ben Pepper made his NBL debut with the Newcastle Falcons at 20 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

In 1996, Pepper averaged 4.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists as a rookie, while the Falcons finished in ninth place (11-15).

1997
In Ben’s second NBL season, he averaged 10 points, and 5.9 rebounds as the Falcons finished tenth with a record of 12-18 during the regular season. At the end of the season he was awarded both the NBL Most Improved Player and Sixth Man award.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1998
Coming off a 1997 semifinal exit against Melbourne, North Melbourne entered what became its final Giants season with the club’s financial pressure still growing. Mike Mitchell, Paul Rees (to Adelaide), Rod Johnson (to Canberra), Stephen Hoare (to West Sydney) and Matthew Reece all exited the team, while Brett Brown retained Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, David Stiff, Andrew Goodwin and Matthew Shanahan. Paul Maley also returned after missing the previous season with a back injury, with Ben Pepper (via Newcastle), David Close (via Canberra), rookie David Smith (via AIS) and new import Darnell Hoskins added to round out the roster.

North Melbourne opened the season at Beaton Park on January 30 without McDonald, losing to Wollongong 109-96 as Pepper (14 points and 6 rebounds) made his Giants debut, with Reidy (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Hoskins (15 points) leading the offence in the loss.

With McDonald sidelined for the opening 13 games, Brown added Nate Driggers to cover the backcourt while Pepper (13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds) became the Giants’ new interior focal point. North Melbourne lost its first five games before defeating Melbourne 102-82 on February 27, with Pepper (9 points and 5 rebounds), Reidy (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Hoskins (29 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) helping the Giants claim their first win of the season.

Driggers (6 points and 3.3 rebounds) played seven games before being released after failing to provide the cover needed during McDonald’s absence. Hoskins (17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals) briefly looked like he might settle the import spot when Hoskins (40 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Reidy (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) led North Melbourne to a 97-91 win over Sydney on March 14, but Hoskins played his final game on March 29 and was released as Brown continued reshaping the roster, with NBL legend Butch Hays (8.9 points and 3.4 assists) brought out of retirement on April 3 to steady the group before McDonald returned.

Pepper delivered one of the best rebounding games of the season against Wollongong on March 29, finishing with 28 points, 27 rebounds, and 2 blocks as North Melbourne defeated the Hawks 110-92, with Smith (16 points) and Maley (15 points) providing support in the win.

McDonald (12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals) finally returned against Adelaide on April 4, while Pepper (11 points) played a smaller role as North Melbourne defeated the 36ers 115-99 behind Reidy (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Maley (19 points and 4 rebounds), giving the Giants only their fourth win of the year.

Pepper (19 points and 14 rebounds) followed with another strong performance against Newcastle on April 12 as North Melbourne defeated the Falcons 99-89, with Reidy (23 points) and Maley (16 points) helping the Giants win consecutive home games.

Pepper’s best game of the season came against Newcastle on May 3, where he finished with 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 2 blocks as North Melbourne defeated the Falcons 119-112, with Reidy (22 points) and Stiff (20 points) helping the Giants claim one of their strongest home wins of the year.

Pepper (22 points and 16 rebounds) added another major game at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on May 1, but North Melbourne fell 102-98 to Sydney despite Reidy (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Stiff (16 points and 8 rebounds) keeping the Giants within reach.

Reidy (17.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Maley (12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds) returned from injury and became one of the Giants’ steadier scorers. Stiff (11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), Goodwin (10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), and Smith (7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), who earned Rookie of the Year, were the other key contributors during a difficult season.

North Melbourne defeated Perth 109-103 in its final home game on June 5, with Pepper (22 points and 7 rebounds), Maley (22 points and 8 rebounds) and McDonald (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists) leading the Giants to one of their best wins of the season. North Melbourne closed the season the next night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, falling 115-113 to Sydney to finish 10th with a 9-21 record, including only one road win, as Pepper (18 points and 12 rebounds) played 41:55 minutes in the loss.

At the end of the season, North Melbourne merged with South East Melbourne after several years of financial instability. The new club was launched as the Victoria Titans, with McDonald, Pepper, Smith and Maley being retained.

VICTORIA TITANS
1998/99
After the NBL’s move to summer, interest in the league had declined, and financially, it had become difficult for Melbourne to sustain three separate clubs. In an effort to boost sponsorship and membership numbers, the South East Melbourne Magic merged with the North Melbourne Giants, who had struggled financially for a number of years.

The team was re-branded to the Victoria Titans and, with the majority of the front office being former Magic owners, a decision was made to retain Brian Goorjian as head coach, leaving Giants coach Brett Brown without a job. Selecting a team generated criticism as Goorjian’s appointment coincided with the decision not to offer Pat Reidy (to Newcastle), then a member of the Australian national team, a spot on the roster.

The Titans completed their roster by signing five players from the Giants roster, Darryl McDonald, Ben Pepper, David Smith, Nathan Taylor and Paul Maley, and five players from the Magic roster, Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Mike Kelly and Tony Ronaldson, while Brad Sheridan (via AIS) also joined the new club.

Victoria opened its inaugural season against Melbourne at Melbourne Park on October 10, where Pepper (15 points and 10 rebounds) produced a double-double in 23:25 minutes, but the Tigers defeated the Titans 99-80. McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Ronaldson (13 points and 4 rebounds) were the other main contributors as the result showed the lack of cohesion that combining two teams had created.

Pepper (12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) became Victoria’s main interior presence and helped balance the new roster, finishing second on the team in scoring while leading the Titans in rebounds and blocks.

Pepper produced his first major game against Sydney on October 31, finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds as Victoria defeated the Kings 101-92 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Drmic (26 points and 5 rebounds) and McDonald (12 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, and 3 steals) provided the support as the Titans improved to 2-1.

Pepper’s best scoring game came against Melbourne on December 12, where he finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds as Victoria defeated the Tigers 92-80 at Melbourne Park. Jason Smith (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Drmic (13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped the Titans gain a measure of payback after their opening-night loss.

Pepper’s best rebounding game came in Townsville on January 30, where he finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but the Crocodiles defeated Victoria 96-71. Drmic (27 points and 8 rebounds) and Ronaldson (11 points and 5 rebounds) were the other main contributors as the Titans completed a difficult road back-to-back.

Ronaldson (16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), who was named team captain of the new franchise, responded by leading Victoria in scoring and earning club MVP honours. McDonald (11.1 points, 5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) led both the Titans and the NBL in assists and steals, while Smith (11.2 points and 4.1 rebounds), Wheeler (11 points and 5.9 rebounds), Drmic (10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds), Kelly (10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) and Maley (7.2 points) gave Goorjian seven double-figure scorers as Victoria finished fourth with a 16-10 record, lost only three games at home and entered the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Victoria opened the Qualifying Finals at Melbourne Park by defeating Wollongong 96-65 behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (18 points), Wheeler (15 points and 6 rebounds), Pepper (12 points, 16 rebounds, and 1 block) and Maley (12 points and 5 rebounds), while Glen Saville (10 points) and David Andersen (7 points) were Wollongong’s best.

Game two moved to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Victoria defeated Wollongong 91-82 and completed the sweep behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (19 points and 5 rebounds), Wheeler (14 points and 8 rebounds), McDonald (7 points, 5 rebounds, 14 assists, and 5 steals) and Pepper (11 points and 6 rebounds).

The semifinals opened at Melbourne Park, where Victoria ground out an 80-77 win over Melbourne behind Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Maley (16 points) and McDonald (11 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists), while Marcus Timmons (31 points and 9 rebounds) led the Tigers. Pepper (4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks) played 23:00 minutes in the win.

Game two stayed at Melbourne Park, where Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds), Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals) led Victoria to a 94-87 win over Melbourne, completing the sweep and sending the Titans into a Grand Final series against Adelaide.

The Grand Final series opened in Melbourne, where Adelaide made 16 three-pointers and defeated Victoria 104-94 behind Brett Maher (31 points) and Darnell Mee (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists). McDonald (23 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Ronaldson (19 points and 4 rebounds) and Pepper (18 points and 3 rebounds) led Victoria in the loss.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Maher (25 points) came out firing for the 36ers, but Victoria slowed the game down and levelled the series with an 88-82 win. Ronaldson (22 points), Wheeler (18 points and 9 rebounds), Smith (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists), McDonald (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Pepper (10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks) helped Victoria force a deciding game.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where more than 7,000 36ers fans saw Martin Cattalini (19 points and 9 rebounds) lead Adelaide and Maher (15 points and 7 rebounds) named Grand Final MVP as the 36ers completed back-to-back championships. Victoria shot 26-of-78 from the field, while Pepper (15 points and 4 rebounds) played 23:32 minutes in the 80-69 loss.

1999/00
After falling short in the Grand Final for the second year in a row, first as South East Melbourne in 1998 and then as Victoria in 1999, Brian Goorjian looked to refresh the Titans with local youth in an attempt to go one step further. Paul Maley (to Adelaide) and Mike Kelly (to Townsville) exited, while 23-year-old big man Nathan Taylor returned to the roster and 20-year-old development player Glen Siegle was elevated into the full squad. The remainder of the Titans’ core returned, with Tony Ronaldson, Darryl McDonald, Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Ben Pepper, David Smith and Brad Sheridan all back as Victoria again chased its first championship.

Victoria opened the season at Melbourne Park on October 2, where Pepper (11 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) helped the Titans defeat Townsville 106-95. Smith (29 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (19 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led the way as Victoria began its second season as the Titans with a home win.

Pepper (10.4 points and 6 rebounds) remained Victoria’s main interior presence, but after playing the first nine games, he missed nine games before returning in late January. His best scoring game came in Canberra on November 12, where he finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds as Victoria defeated the Cannons 87-85, with Ronaldson (23 points and 6 rebounds) and Drmic (13 points) providing the support.

Pepper produced another strong early-season game against Canberra on October 15, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks as Victoria defeated the Cannons 97-82 at Melbourne Park. Smith (26 points and 6 rebounds) and McDonald (15 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals) led the Titans as Pepper gave Goorjian a strong defensive presence inside.

After returning from his extended absence, Pepper delivered one of his best games against Cairns on February 18, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks as Victoria defeated the Taipans 103-87 at Melbourne Park. McDonald (27 points and 10 assists) and Ronaldson (23 points and 11 rebounds) led the Titans as Pepper worked his way back into the rotation before the playoffs.

Smith (17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) enjoyed a breakout season, leading Victoria in scoring and earning club MVP honours after increasing his role from the previous year. Ronaldson (16 points and 5.4 rebounds) remained team captain and the Titans’ most reliable frontcourt scorer, while McDonald (13.8 points, 4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steals) led both Victoria and the NBL in assists and steals. Drmic (13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds), Wheeler (11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds) and David Smith (5 points and 3 rebounds) helped Victoria deliver a balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures. The Titans finished fourth with a 20-8 record, built their season around a 11-3 home record and entered the playoffs against Melbourne.

Victoria opened the elimination finals at Melbourne Park, where Melbourne took game one 101-94 despite Smith (22 points and 5 rebounds), McDonald (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Drmic (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) leading the Titans. Pepper (8 points and 5 rebounds) played 19:04 minutes in the loss.

Game two stayed at Melbourne Park, where Victoria answered with a 78-70 win behind Ronaldson (18 points and 5 rebounds), McDonald (15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Smith (13 points and 4 rebounds) and Drmic (12 points and 11 rebounds). Pepper (8 points and 3 rebounds) played 16:23 minutes as the Titans forced a deciding game.

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Victoria overcame Andrew Gaze (30 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) and eliminated the Tigers with a 105-96 win. McDonald (29 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals) led the Titans, while Ronaldson (19 points and 7 rebounds), Smith (14 points) and Drmic (14 points and 8 rebounds) helped Victoria move into a semifinal series against Adelaide. Pepper (7 points and 6 rebounds) played 15:41 minutes in the win.

The semifinals opened in Melbourne, where Victoria defeated Adelaide 101-86 behind Ronaldson (26 points and 5 rebounds) and McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks), taking game one against the team that had ended the Titans’ previous two seasons. Pepper (8 points and 8 rebounds) played 24:42 minutes in the win.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Martin Cattalini (24 points and 7 rebounds) and Darnell Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led the 36ers back into the series with a 95-72 win. Ronaldson (17 points and 5 rebounds), Drmic (14 points) and Smith (13 points) were Victoria’s main contributors, while Pepper (7 points and 5 rebounds) played 23:19 minutes as Adelaide forced another deciding game.

Game three remained at Adelaide Arena, where Victoria finally overcame the 36ers with a 93-89 win behind McDonald (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Pepper (21 points and 7 rebounds) and Drmic (19 points and 4 rebounds), while Mee (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) again filled the stat sheet for Adelaide. The win sent Victoria into its second straight Grand Final series and sparked a Titans celebration on court before the series with Perth had begun.

The Grand Final series opened at Melbourne Park, where Perth defeated Victoria 84-78 behind league MVP Paul Rogers (24 points and 20 rebounds). Ronaldson (25 points) led the Titans, while Drmic (13 points and 4 rebounds) and Smith (11 points) supported, and Pepper (4 points and 6 rebounds) played 18:17 minutes in the loss.

Game two moved to Perth, where Marcus Timmons (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals) led the Wildcats to a 83-76 win and was named Finals MVP as Perth completed the sweep. McDonald (25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led Victoria, while Pepper (0 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block) played 19:23 minutes in the 83-76 loss.

2000/01
After losing the previous season’s Grand Final to Perth, Victoria retained Jason Smith, Tony Ronaldson, Darryl McDonald, Brett Wheeler, Ben Pepper, Brad Sheridan and Glen Siegle, while Frank Drmic (to Sydney), Nathan Taylor (to Melbourne) and David Smith (released) exited.

Head coach Brian Goorjian brought Chris Anstey (via Chicago) back to Australia following three seasons in the NBA, replaced David Smith with his older brother Darren Smith (via Sydney) and signed Mark Dickel (via UNLV). Dickel occupied an import position because New Zealand players were not considered local players in the NBL until 2003.

Victoria opened the season at the Brisbane Convention Centre on October 20, where Pepper (5 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block) provided a strong contribution in 19:19 minutes as the Titans defeated Brisbane 95-80. Ronaldson (17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and McDonald (16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led Victoria to the road win.

Pepper (4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds) was pushed into a smaller role after Anstey’s arrival, with Wheeler (13 points and 8 rebounds) remaining theey’s arrival, with Wheeler (13 points and 8 rebounds starting centre and Anstey (16.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) used from the bench. An injury then sidelined Pepper after the opening five games, causing him to miss 17 consecutive games and more than three months before returning in February, limiting him to nine regular-season appearances and 15 games overall.

Pepper’s first season-high scoring game came against West Sydney on October 22, where he finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds in 16:49 minutes as Victoria defeated the Razorbacks 110-93 at Vodafone Arena. Jason Smith (25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and Wheeler (21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks) led the Titans as Pepper gave Goorjian another productive performance from the bench.

Pepper added 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks against Cairns on October 29 as Victoria defeated the Taipans 106-98. Ronaldson (22 points and 7 rebounds) and Jason Smith (20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Titans, while Pepper provided interior defence and four offensive rebounds in 14:22 minutes.

Pepper returned from injury against Canberra on February 17, finishing with 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block in 5:22 minutes as Victoria defeated the Cannons 100-84 at the AIS Arena. Jason Smith (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Wheeler (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) led the Titans as Pepper played his first game since November 4.

Pepper matched his season-high scoring total against Sydney on March 2, finishing with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in only 10:55 minutes, but the Kings defeated Victoria 115-96 at Vodafone Arena. Dickel (15 points and 3 assists) and McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 steals) were the Titans’ other main contributors.

Jason Smith (20.5 points and 5.4 rebounds) produced the highest-scoring season of his career and earned All-NBL First Team honours, while Ronaldson (16.3 points and 5.7 rebounds), McDonald (15.4 points, 5 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 2.7 steals), Dickel (13.2 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists) and Darren Smith (6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds) helped Victoria finish first with a franchise-best 22-6 record.

The injuries suffered by Pepper, Anstey and Darren Smith led to development players Marcus Wright and Pero Vasiljevic being elevated into the full roster. Anstey was named Titans MVP and NBL Best Sixth Man as Victoria entered the playoffs with the league’s best record.

Victoria opened the qualifying finals at Adelaide Arena, where Pepper (6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block) played 14:39 minutes as the Titans defeated Adelaide 101-96. Anstey (27 points, 16 rebounds, and 1 block), Wheeler (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Victoria, while Brooks (24 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists), Maher (19 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) and Mee (18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) led Adelaide. Jason Smith (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block) suffered a severe knee injury late in the win and missed the remainder of the postseason.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Brooks (34 points and 9 rebounds), Maher (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mee (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led Adelaide to a 96-83 win. Ronaldson (22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block), Wheeler (12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) and Dickel (12 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal) led Victoria, while Pepper (0 points) played 4:33 minutes as the 36ers forced a deciding game.

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Pepper (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) produced his best playoff performance in 20:58 minutes, but Adelaide defeated Victoria 115-103 to take the series 2-1. Anstey (21 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 steals), Darren Smith (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Dickel (17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) led the Titans, who played without the injured Jason Smith and Ronaldson. Brooks (25 points and 7 rebounds per game) and Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game) had driven Adelaide across the series, although Victoria still advanced as the highest-placed losing team from the qualifying finals.

The semifinal series opened at Vodafone Arena, where Ronaldson (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), McDonald (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Wheeler (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Victoria to a 106-97 win over Townsville. Rose (26 points) and Kelly (17 points and 9 rebounds) led the Crocodiles, while Pepper (4 points, 1 rebound, and 2 blocks) played 4:22 minutes in the win.

Game two moved to Townsville, where Goodwin (19 points and 11 rebounds), Reidy (19 points and 4 assists) and Rose (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists) led the Crocodiles to a 98-82 win. Sheridan (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Ronaldson (17 points and 8 rebounds) top-scored for Victoria, while Pepper (0 points and 5 rebounds) played 17:37 minutes. Anstey (2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) suffered an injury during his 7:31 minutes and missed the deciding game.

Game three remained in Townsville, where Dickel (33 points and 4 assists), McDonald (19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Darren Smith (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) led Victoria, while Goodwin (23 points), Rose (20 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) and Kelly (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) carried Townsville to a 101-97 win. Pepper (0 points, 4 rebounds, and1 steal) played 7:10 minutes in the 101-97 loss.

WOLLONGONG HAWKS
2001/02
After the Hawks lost Matt Garrison to Cairns for the 2001-02 season, they replaced him by signing Ben Pepper (12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.7) who played a key role in helping the Hawks to a fourth place finish (16-14) during the regular season.

2002/03
During the 2002/03 season, Pepper averaged 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists and helped the Hawks finish the regular season in fourth place (18-12).

VICTORIA GIANTS
2003/04
During the 2003/04 season, Pepper averaged 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists and was a part of the Giants squad which finished with a record of 11-22.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2004/05
The Breakers entered their second NBL season looking to improve on their tenth-place finish in their first year during their debut season. The Breakers moved Frank Arsego, who had replaced Jeff Green mid-season, into a permanent position as the team’s head coach. The next move was locking in the Breakers’ leading scorer and MVP from the previous season, Mike Chappell, and replacing import Casey Frank with Shawn Redhage, who had been dominating the state league (SEABL).

Ben Melmeth would return to his hometown of Newcastle to play for the Hunter Pirates. He was replaced with fellow Aussie big man Ben Pepper, whose former team, the Victoria Giants, had vacated the league due to financial issues.

To begin the season, Paul Henare was made co-captain, alongside last year’s ‘skipper’ Pero Cameron, and despite falling short in their opening game (a re-match of the team’s first ever game against Adelaide, which they lost 94-106) they started the season by splitting the first games six games and sit within the middle of the were pack with a 3-3 record.

Although Redhage (12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) made a impressive start to the season, a form slump in November, which saw the team lose six of its seven games, led to Redhage’s court time being reduced and eventually his release after 13 games.

While Redhage would go on to sign with Perth and become one of the NBL’s all-time greats, his replacement came in the form of Marcus Timmons (9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals). A clear mistake had been made there, however, as shortly after taking the court, it was clear Timmons was no longer the player he was back when he joined the Melbourne Tigers mid-season in 1997 and led them to a championship.

Chappell (18 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) would lead the team in scoring for a second consecutive season, while Aaron Olson would boost his scoring from 10.8 points per game to 15.5 points per game and win the club’s MVP award at the end of the season.

Pepper appeared in 31 games and averaged 14.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, while the Breakers finished in eleventh place (9-23), failing to improve on their debut season.

2005/06
With the Breakers still searching for their first winning season, they chose not to re-sign Mike Chappell, the Breakers’ leading scorer from the past two seasons and appointed a new head coach Andrej Lemanis. Lemanis had played in the NBL during the 1980s and 1990s and spent the previous five seasons as a assistant coach with the Townsville Crocodiles.

Lemanis inherited a Breakers squad who had seen both its national team players, Pero Cameron (Gold Coast) and Dillon Boucher (Perth), leave for better opportunities on other NBL team’s.

Lemanis looked to build around its young turning core group, which included Aaron Olsen, Ben Pepper, Lindsay Tait and Paul Henare, who was named team captain with the departure of co-captain Pero Cameron.

Rugged defender Ben Thompson and New Zealand born Adrian Majstrovich (both via Perth) were added to the roster, as was the import duo of Rich Melzer and Brant Bailey.

The Breakers started the season poorly (1-5) and quickly made the decision to replace Bailey (18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) with Brian Green (18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals).

Melzer (18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) would lead New Zealand in scoring while the Breakers continued to see strong development from young gun Aaron Olson (17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) and Ben Pepper (14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) was a force inside the paint. Pepper averaged 14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, appearing in 32 of the Breakers’ games.

Lemanis’ first season in charge was not particularly memorable. During the season, the Breakers endured a team-worst eleven straight losses, but after making the personnel changes, the team split their final twelve games of the season and finished the regular season tenth out of eleven team’s (9-23).

2006/07
Under second-year head coach Andrej Lemanis, New Zealand returned the bulk of its core from the prior campaign, with captain Paul Henare, Aaron Olson, Ben Pepper, Mika Vukona, Tim Behrendorff, and Adam Darragh all back in the line-up.

The offseason saw foundation forward Dillon Boucher head to Brisbane, while star Rich Melzer, who had re-signed, was released after inking an NBA contract with San Antonio. To replenish the roster, Lemanis brought in forward Oscar Forman (via Adelaide) and recruited imports Brian Wethers (via Hunter) and Carlos Powell (via NBA D-League) to fill the scoring void and complement Pepper’s inside game.

The Breakers opened with a statement, defeating defending champions Melbourne 118–97 on 2 November. Wethers scored 31 points, Powell added 28 points and 8 rebounds, and Pepper delivered 18 points and 7 rebounds, giving the hosts a decisive interior edge. On 13 December, New Zealand played in the first ever NBL clash between two non-Australian clubs, falling 111–94 to Singapore despite Powell’s 43 points; Pepper was again solid with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Later in the season, Powell erupted for 50 points in a narrow loss to Melbourne, while Pepper contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds in support.

A turning point came on 1 January in Sydney when Wethers went down with a fractured tibial plateau in his right knee early in a 100–89 defeat. At that stage, Wethers was averaging (19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) over 22 games. Without his scoring threat, New Zealand endured a ten-game losing skid. Import guard Pierre Wooten (8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 9 games) was signed as injury cover but couldn’t replicate Wethers’ output.

Ben Pepper (15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 33 games) was a constant presence inside, finishing third in team scoring and providing consistent rebounding. His efficiency around the rim and ability to establish post position kept New Zealand competitive through difficult stretches. Powell (28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) topped the league in scoring, earning two NBL Player of the Month awards and claiming the All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk crown. Olson (12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) provided reliable perimeter shooting in his farewell NBL season, while Forman (10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds) stretched defences with his outside game. Henare (8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) directed traffic as floor general, with Vukona (5.2 points and 6.2 rebounds) injecting energy and physicality off the bench.

New Zealand closed the season in 10th place with an 11–22 record, a slight improvement on the previous year’s tally. Pepper’s steady production, highlighted by double-figure scoring in each of the team’s key performances, was a vital component in keeping the Breakers competitive despite injuries and a mid-season slump.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2007/08
Pepper ended his career with a season playing for Townsville where he averaged 10.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists while the Crocodiles finished in fifth place (17-13).

Ben Pepper played thirteen seasons across six NBL teams. This included the Newcastle Falcons, North Melbourne Giants, Victoria Titans, Victoria Giants, Wollongong Hawks, New Zealand Breakers and Townsville Crocodiles. He averaged 11.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 384 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 24th in total rebounds
– 13rd in total blocks