BIO: Brian Andrews was born in Manly (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Manly basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brian Andrews made his NBL debut with the Townsville Suns at 22 years of age. He scored eight points in his first game.

Brian Andrews entered the NBL in 1993 as a rookie guard with the newly established Townsville Suns, the league’s newest expansion franchise. The Suns, coached by local mentor Mark Bragg and captained by veteran Graham Kubank, assembled their debut roster largely from players who had featured in Townsville’s state league team, including David Blades, Lucas Agrums, Jason Cameron, Tonny Jensen, and Kubank himself. They bolstered the line-up with high-profile imports Ricky Jones and Lithuania’s Rimas Kurtinaitis, the league’s first-ever European import.

Townsville endured a challenging start, losing their first four games before achieving their inaugural NBL victory—a 98–89 home triumph over Newcastle on May 14, powered by Kurtinaitis and Jones, who combined for more than 50 points. Despite the slow start, this victory validated their entry into the league and showcased the Suns’ potential.

In his first season, Brian Andrews quickly found his footing and became a vital perimeter scoring threat. Andrews averaged (10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), along with a team-high 1.7 steals per game, highlighting his ability to contribute on both ends of the floor. His early-season highlights included a 25-point outburst against Geelong on June 4, where he connected on 6-of-12 three-pointers and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Andrews also showed his potential in back-to-back strong performances against Perth (18 points on 6-of-10 from deep) and Melbourne (20 points, 7-of-14 FG).

However, consistency proved difficult for the rookie, as he endured several tough outings mid-season, including scoreless games against Wollongong and a low-scoring stretch against Adelaide and Sydney. Andrews fought through these slumps, and despite the ups and downs, he continued to provide strong defence and perimeter shooting, playing significant minutes throughout the season.

1994
Townsville entered their second NBL season aiming to improve on their challenging inaugural campaign. Head coach Mark Bragg reshaped the roster, losing star import Rimas Kurtinaitis along with Tonny Jensen and Paul Simpson (both to Newcastle), while bringing in new recruits Simon O’Donnell (via Newcastle), Cameron Dickinson (via state league), and American import Jeff Warren to join returning standout Ricky Jones.

The Suns began the season brightly, defeating Hobart 96–79, spearheaded by Ricky Jones (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 assists) and Jeff Warren, who impressed in his debut (20 points and 7 rebounds). Lamont Middleton (22 points) led the Devils.

Warren’s stint lasted just five games before he was released, replaced briefly by Howard Chambers. Chambers played only a single game but delivered a strong showing (19 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds) in a 115–105 loss to Newcastle, before being replaced by former NBA talent Darryl Johnson. Johnson stabilised the Suns’ backcourt, averaging (25 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 steals) across the remainder of the season.

Ricky Jones continued to lead Townsville’s offensive charge, averaging (27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks), establishing himself as one of the league’s premier scorers and rim protectors. Dickinson (12.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) emerged as a reliable secondary option, while captain Graham Kubank (9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) and Simon O’Donnell (7.8 points and 8.2 rebounds) delivered reliable numbers off the bench.

Brian Andrews (4.0 points, 2.0 assists, and , 1.0 steals) appeared in 22 games, and despite seeing his numbers drop considerably in his second season, still provided an valuable contributions backing up star import Daryl Johnson and David Blades (6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals).

Townsville’s most inspiring win came late in the year against South East Melbourne, where they edged the title-contending Magic 108–107. Jones (34 points), Johnson (23 points, 10 assists), and Dickinson (23 points) held off Adonis Jordan (23 points) and Andrew Parkinson (23 points) in a thrilling finish at The Furnace.

The season ended with a 141–105 blowout loss to Brisbane, highlighted by Shane Heal’s career-best 61 points (12/19 from three). Jones (32 points) and Johnson (29 points, 5 assists) led the resistance, but the Bullets were too strong, with additional support from Leroy Loggins (19 points) and Andre Moore (18 points).

Townsville closed the season at 6–20, an improvement on their debut campaign and enough to avoid the wooden spoon, which went to Hobart.

Brian Andrews played two seasons with the Townsville Suns. He averaged 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 43 NBL games.