BIO: Brandon Ashley was born in Oakland, California (USA). Ashley attended Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California before transferring to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada for his senior season. He averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a senior, and led Findlay to a 32-1 record and a ESPN NHSI national title.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brandon Ashley made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

After finishing sixth with a 12-16 record under Kevin Braswell the previous season, New Zealand appointed Dan Shamir as coach and Director of Basketball. Shea Ili (to Melbourne), Shawn Long (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to South East Melbourne) departed, while general manager Dillon Boucher and assistant coach Michael Fitchett also left the club. Rob Loe (via Cairns) returned to New Zealand, RJ Hampton (via Little Elm High School) joined through the NBL’s Next Stars program and imports Scotty Hopson (via Hapoel Holon) and Sek Henry (via Pınar Karşıyaka) were added.

A week before the season, the Breakers released import Chris Obekpa after a lingering knee injury prevented him from getting healthy and signed Brandon Ashley (via APOEL Nicosia) on September 29 to replace him. Ashley had most recently played for Sacramento at the NBA Summer League and had been on Shamir’s radar before joining New Zealand.

Following an impressive FIBA World Cup campaign, Corey Webster sought a release to join Darüşşafaka in Turkey, offering $100,000 towards his own buyout while the Turkish club offered another $25,000, but New Zealand rejected the deal. Reports that co-owner Matt Walsh had described Webster as the “worst statistical starting shooting guard in the NBL” added to the dispute, although Walsh later clarified the comment related to statistical comparisons from the previous season.

New Zealand opened its season against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on October 18, where Ashley (4 points and 7 rebounds) came off the bench as the Kings won 96-91. Hopson (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Webster (21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while Casper Ware (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Sydney.

Ashley (10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 28 games) appeared in every game during his first NBL season, starting 10 times and shooting 55 percent from the field. He did not miss a game through injury or suspension, although foul trouble was a constant issue, with Ashley fouling out six times during the season.

Ashley’s best scoring game came against Melbourne on October 26, where he made 9-of-12 shots, including both of his three-point attempts, and finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds before fouling out as United defeated New Zealand 104-98. Hopson (17 points and 8 rebounds) and Webster (17 points and 6 assists) provided support for the Breakers, while former Breaker Shawn Long (27 points and 11 rebounds) led Melbourne.

New Zealand fell to 2-8 and later 4-10 as injuries to Finn Delany (11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds across 20 games), Loe (9.3 points and 4 rebounds across 20 games), Hopson (18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 21 games) and Webster (19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across 11 games) disrupted the first half of the season. Glen Rice Jr (25 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals across 3 games) was signed as an injury replacement for Hopson but was suspended following an off-court incident and ultimately released after a second arrest, while Webster was bought out of his contract in December (to China).

Foul trouble produced Ashley’s lowest point of the season against Sydney in New Plymouth on January 17, where Ashley (3 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) was assessed two unsportsmanlike fouls following an incident while battling for a rebound and ejected during the third quarter. New Zealand still defeated the league-leading Kings 88-81 behind Hopson (30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) and Loe (18 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks), while Jae’Sean Tate (22 points) led Sydney as the Breakers collected their 10th win and remained in the playoff race.

Ashley’s best all-around game came at RAC Arena on January 25, where he made 10-of-15 shots and finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 assist as New Zealand suffered an 80-79 loss to Perth. Delany (16 points) and Hopson (13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) provided support, while Miles Plumlee (23 points and 17 rebounds) led Perth as the defeat left the Breakers at 11-13 with little margin for error in the playoff race.

New Zealand responded by winning four of its final four games and completed an 11-3 finish after falling to 4-10. Henry (13.2 points and 3.4 assists across 26 games), Thomas Abercrombie (11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds across 28 games), Hampton (8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds across 15 games) and Jarrad Weeks (5.6 points across 25 games) joined Hopson, Webster, Delany and Loe as the other major contributors. Hampton returned to the United States late in the season to continue rehabilitating a hip injury and prepare for the NBA Draft. Abercrombie became the first New Zealander and only the second NBL player after Daniel Kickert to complete a 50-40-90 season and was named the Breakers’ MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, while Hopson earned All-NBL Second Team honours and was named the Members Choice MVP.

New Zealand closed the regular season against South East Melbourne in Christchurch on February 14, where Ashley (6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) came off the bench as the Breakers won 92-83. Hopson (23 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Abercrombie (18 points and 5 rebounds) and Loe (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while John Roberson (15 points and 8 assists) led South East Melbourne. New Zealand finished sixth with a 15-13 record and missed the playoffs on points percentage.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2021/22
After reaching the Finals for the first time the year prior, South East Melbourne looked to go one step further, re-signing coach Simon Mitchell to a one-year deal and retaining 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), Zach Hankins (via Nymburk) and Xavier Munford (via Bursa) added before the season.

South East Melbourne won three of its first four games before COVID interruptions forced several games to be postponed and left the Phoenix without a game for 28 days. During the break, second import Devin Thomas was released following multiple breaches of contract and the club’s code of conduct, while Hankins was yet to play because of a knee cartilage injury. On January 11, the Phoenix signed Brandon Ashley (via Bologna) for the remainder of the season to fill the vacant second import spot, bringing him back to the NBL after previously playing with New Zealand in NBL20.

“I am very excited to be a part of this organisation and coming back to the NBL again. I know how much talent there is in this league and I’m looking forward to being able to compete at a high level with a team that I believe can win it all,” he said.

Ashley arrived in Melbourne over the following weekend, with Steve Taylor Jr (via Jeddah) used as a one-game replacement against Brisbane on January 15 because Ashley had not yet arrived. Ashley (8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds across 23 games) then played every remaining game following his debut, with no injury or illness costing him a game during NBL22. His 23 appearances were a result of joining South East Melbourne after its first five games rather than missing time through injury.

Ashley debuted against Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena on January 23, where Ashley (2 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks) provided an immediate presence on the boards as South East Melbourne defeated the JackJumpers 76-63, with Creek (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Qi (18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks) leading the Phoenix, while Clint Steindl (16 points) was Tasmania’s leading scorer. With Ashley now part of the frontcourt rotation, South East Melbourne recovered from its lengthy COVID interruption to win eight of its next eleven games and sit second on the ladder at 11-5.

South East Melbourne saw its season backflip from here on, losing four consecutive games to Illawarra twice, Melbourne and Sydney to fall to 11-9. Ashley’s best scoring game came in Cairns on March 25, where Ashley (25 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) made eight of nine field goal attempts and scored 21 points in the second half as South East Melbourne defeated the Taipans 86-74 and snapped its four-game losing streak, with Munford (23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks) and Creek (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) providing support, while Tahjere McCall (14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) was Cairns’ best. The win improved South East Melbourne to 12-9 and kept the Phoenix in the playoff race, one win behind fourth-placed Illawarra.

“Staying out of foul trouble has definitely been the biggest thing for me. Really in this league, not only this year but even in two year ago with the Breakers. And being able to just out there on the floor and having an impact it felt really good,” Ashley said.

The downfall of South East Melbourne coincided with the season-ending shoulder injury of Broekhoff (11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 18 games), and even with a favourable schedule across the final month, losses to Adelaide, Cairns and Melbourne left the Phoenix unable to recover. South East Melbourne managed only six wins from its final 14 games.

Creek (20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 28 games) led South East Melbourne in scoring, won the Phoenix MVP and earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while Munford (16.6 points, 4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 26 games), Qi (11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2 blocks across 24 games), Le’Afa (8.8 points across 26 games) and Adnam (8.8 points across 25 games) were the other major contributors. The Phoenix finished among the league’s top three scoring teams at 87.7 points per game.

South East Melbourne closed the season at RAC Arena on April 24, where Ashley (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) produced his second-highest scoring game of the season as Munford (24 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Creek (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) helped the Phoenix defeat Perth 102-100 in overtime, while Bryce Cotton (28 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) was the Wildcats’ best, ending Perth’s 35-year playoff streak and leaving South East Melbourne sixth with a 15-13 record.

Brandon Ashley played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the South East Melbourne Phoenix and the New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 51 NBL games.