BIO: Carmie Olowoyo was born in Perth (WA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Carmie Olowoyo made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 22 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

2004/05
After their 2004 NBL Grand Final appearance, the West Sydney Razorbacks faced a season of transition. Head coach Gordie McLeod was replaced by longtime assistant Mark Watkins, who stepped into the role following player support. Financial instability surrounding the club’s owners, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, further impacted the team’s outlook, as the Bulldogs were fined and stripped of their NRL premiership points due to salary cap breaches. These off-court struggles influenced the Razorbacks’ roster moves heading into the season.

Key departures included leading scorer John Rillie (to Townsville), along with Russell Hinder (to Hunter) and David Pennisi (to Europe), while Brad Williams retired. These losses forced West Sydney to reshape their lineup.

Returning were Scott McGregor, who had missed the prior season due to injury, and reigning NBL Rookie of the Year Steven Markovic, who was expected to play a larger role in the backcourt. The team, which had gone with an all-Australian roster the previous year, opted to sign Nick Horvath (via Duke University) as their import. Horvath (20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) became the team’s go-to scorer.

Defensively, Simon Dwight (15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.2 blocks) remained a dominant presence in the paint, while team captain Sam MacKinnon (14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks) continued to provide versatility on both ends. McGregor (12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) brought additional offensive balance to the team.

The Razorbacks opened the season with a 97–120 loss to Perth on October 2, 2004, as they struggled to find rhythm with their new lineup. Their first win came in Round 2, defeating Brisbane 106–75 at home. They followed that with a 113–111 road win over Brisbane, with Horvath (23 points, 17 rebounds) and McGregor (26 points) leading the way.

Momentum was short-lived as the team fell into a four-game losing streak, with defeats to Melbourne (97–105), Adelaide (85–102), and Perth (90–101). Struggles to replace Rillie’s perimeter shooting were evident, as West Sydney lacked consistent outside scoring options.

The Razorbacks found some success in Round 8, securing a 96–82 win over Wollongong, led by Horvath (29 points, 14 rebounds) and MacKinnon (22 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists). They edged Cairns 87–84 in another close game, with Markovic (18 points, 6 assists) stepping up in the backcourt. Despite these victories, inconsistency plagued the team, preventing them from building sustained momentum.

Their season unraveled with a seven-game losing streak between January 2 and January 29, 2005, including a 123–89 blowout loss to Sydney and a 112–85 defeat to Sydney on February 19, effectively ending their playoff hopes. The team struggled defensively and lacked secondary scoring options beyond Horvath.

West Sydney managed to notch a few late-season highlights, including a 103–76 home win over Hunter on February 2, where McGregor (21 points, 7 rebounds) provided a crucial spark. Another key victory came on February 11, when they defeated Wollongong 117–95 in one of their best offensive performances of the season. However, these results did little to salvage the overall campaign.

A difficult season saw Carmie Olowoyo struggle to find consistent playing time in the Razorbacks’ rotation. Appearing in 31 games, he averaged 3.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, unable to carve out a major role on a team that relied heavily on its established core.

West Sydney finished ninth with an 11–21 record, missing the playoffs just a year after making the Grand Final.

Carmie Olowoyo played four seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Perth Wildcats and the West Sydney Razorbacks. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 72 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (833 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.