Derek Cooke Jr
June 8, 2023
Casey Prather
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 29/05/91
- Place of Birth: Jackson, Tennessee (USA)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 96
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Florida (2010–2014)
- NBL DEBUT: 10/10/15
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 14/12/19
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Perth 2016-17 | Melbourne 2018, 2020 | Brisbane 2024
- Championships: 3
- Perth (2016-17), Melbourne (2018)
BIO: Prather was born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, under the stern watch of his mother Enova and sister Brittany, with his parents having split before he was born. Growing up, family and basketball kept him away from the growing criminal element in his community. At the age of 12, his stepfather, Jeffery, noticed Prather’s athleticism and began teaching him the skills required to pursue playing professionally.
He attended Jackson’s North Side High School, where he averaged 28 points per game as a sophomore, and 24.4 points and 14 rebounds as a junior. During his junior season, he had a 53-point, 24-rebound performance in a district game against Fayette Ware High School. Following his junior year, he was ranked the 25th best prospect by Scout.com, and the 10th best small forward. On November 17, 2009, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the University of Florida.
As a senior in 2009/10, Prather was a finalist for Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball after averaging 29 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, five steals and three assists per game. He finished his four-year career at North Side with over 2,000 points. He was selected to the All-District team and was named team MVP all four seasons at North Side, and was selected to the district’s All-Tournament team his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He was also named All-West Player of the Year in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
During his time at North Side, Prather was member of the Nashville Celtics AAU team that captured the 2010 River City Showdown Championship.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Casey Prather made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 24 years of age. He scored nine points in his first game.
Casey Prather decided to bring his talents to Australia after his former college teammate Scottie Wilbekin encouraged him to make the move. Prather joined the Perth Wildcats after an injury-riddled 2014/15 season that saw the Wildcats bow out in the semifinals. Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson, after facing chemistry challenges the previous year, entered the 2015/16 season confident he had the squad to capture the club’s seventh championship. Key additions included Prather, Nathan Jawai, and backup guard Jarrod Kenny to balance the team’s roster.
Prather missed three games early in the season due to a knee injury, but Perth remained relatively healthy otherwise and concluded the regular season in second place with an 18–10 record.
Over the season, Prather averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, including a standout game in November where he posted a season-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Prather hit the game-winning free throw with just 1.5 seconds remaining to secure a 91–90 win over the Cairns Taipans.
On January 15, 2016, Prather put up another impressive performance, scoring a season-high 27 points in a dominant 95–68 victory over the Sydney Kings, snapping the Wildcats’ three-game losing streak.
The Wildcats extended their playoff streak to a record 30 consecutive seasons. In the first game of the semifinals, Perth overpowered Illawarra with an 80–68 win, led by Prather’s 19 points.
In Game 2, however, the Hawks retaliated with a 104–87 victory, powered by Oscar Forman’s stellar 21-point performance. Back in Perth for Game 3, the Wildcats clinched the series with an 89–74 victory; Jermaine Beal led with 17 points, while Prather added 15, including a memorable one-handed slam over AJ Ogilvy early in the fourth quarter. This set up a highly anticipated NBL Finals series against the reigning champions, the New Zealand Breakers.
In the NBL Grand Final series, Prather contributed significantly to Perth’s championship win over New Zealand, helping secure a 2–1 series victory. Prather had a team-high 19 points in the decisive Game 3, leading the Wildcats to a commanding 75–52 win to claim the championship. Prather finished the season with averages of 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals across 27 games, earning him the Wildcats’ Most Valuable Player award for the 2015/16 season.
Game 1 of the Grand Finals saw the Wildcats rely on the powerful inside presence of Jawai, Prather’s defensive prowess, and Kenny’s solid support for captain Damian Martin. This balanced team effort resulted in an 82–76 win for a 1-0 series lead.
The Breakers evened the series in Game 2 back in New Zealand, winning 72–68, bolstered by Cedric Jackson’s near triple-double (13 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists).
In the decisive Game 3, with 13,090 “Red Army” fans in attendance, the Wildcats left no doubt. Casey Prather scored 19 points, supported by Jermaine Beal’s 14 points, while Martin’s defensive display kept Jackson scoreless, ultimately earning Martin the Grand Final MVP honors as Perth won their seventh NBL title in a blowout, 75–52.
Following the championship, Prather pursued his NBA dreams, participating with the Dallas Mavericks at the 2016 Orlando Summer League before re-signing with the Wildcats.
2016/17
The 2016 offseason saw several Wildcats key players depart, including Nathan Jawai, Tom Jervis, and Jermaine Beal. To fill these gaps, coach Trevor Gleeson recruited Angus Brandt, Jameel McKay, and Jaron Johnson, setting the team up to chase their first back-to-back titles since 1991.
The Wildcats started the season strong with a 4–1 record but quickly slipped, finding themselves at the bottom of the ladder in December with a 7–9 record as injuries hit hard. Martin, Jarrod Kenny, and Matthew Knight all suffered long-term injuries. Jaron Johnson, initially signed to boost the offense, bore the brunt of the team’s poor form and was replaced by three-point specialist Andre Ingram.
Ingram’s stint was short-lived, leaving after just two games due to mental health issues. Johnson was brought back temporarily, only to be replaced permanently in December by former NBA player Bryce Cotton.
Prather continued to be the Wildcats’ offensive anchor, posting a career-high 39 points in a tight 92–89 win over Melbourne United on December 9th.
In early February, he showcased his versatility with a 29-point performance in a 101–74 win over the Sydney Kings, followed by a 26-point, career-high 11-assist game in a 96–94 win against Melbourne United.
With Cotton on board, the Wildcats transformed their season, finishing the regular season on an 8–4 run, ultimately ending with a 15–13 record and third-place finish.
In the semifinals, Prather led the way with 22 points in Game 1 and 24 in Game 2, sweeping Cairns 2–0. In the Grand Finals against Illawarra, he scored 22 points in Game 1, 18 in Game 2, and 17 in Game 3, leading Perth to a 3–0 series sweep for their second consecutive championship.
Prather’s stellar season saw him named to the All-NBL First Team, and he finished as runner-up in the MVP voting, with 107 votes to Jerome Randle’s 147 for the Adelaide 36ers.
The Wildcats’ back-to-back championship run extended their record finals streak to 31 seasons, with the 3–0 Grand Final sweep marking their eighth NBL title. Gleeson became the first Wildcats coach to secure consecutive championships, and Prather became the only Wildcats player to win two titles in his first two seasons with the club. Additionally, Prather was named the Wildcats’ MVP for both championship seasons, joining an elite group of Wildcats to win multiple club MVP awards and the only player to do so in consecutive championship years.
Following this incredible season, Prather returned to the NBA Summer League, this time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Convinced he was close to securing a contract, he declined a return offer from the Wildcats, who subsequently signed JP Tokoto as his replacement. When an NBA contract didn’t materialize, Prather shifted his focus to Europe before ultimately signing with Melbourne United for the following season.
MELBOURNE UNITED
2017/18
The 2017 season marked the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era as former Sydney assistant coach Vickerman took over from Dean Demopoulos, who had struggled to build cohesion with the playing group. Vickerman signed a two-season contract, and Melbourne soon re-signed David Barlow along with imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware. Vickerman also brought forward Craig Moller (via Sydney) to replace Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and added Casey Prather (from Perth) as the team’s third import.
Melbourne opened the season with a win against Adelaide (99–97), with Prather leading the offense with 20 points. Despite the strong start, United won only five of their first ten games.
On December 16, Prather suffered a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s victory over Illawarra (84–78) and was ruled out for at least eight weeks. Development player Felix Von Hofe stepped up until former NBA talent Carrick Felix joined in December. Felix’s arrival helped spark a strong finish, with United going 15-3 to close out the season.
Prather averaged 16.7 points, 6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Melbourne secured first place, setting up a semifinal matchup with fourth-seed New Zealand. In game one, Prather led with 15 points off the bench in an 11-point victory (88–77). He contributed another 12 points in game two as United edged out New Zealand in overtime (88–86) to advance to the Grand Final. On the other side, the Adelaide 36ers defeated reigning champions Perth to reach the final.
In game one, Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) set the tone in the first half before exiting with a hip injury, allowing Chris Goulding to step up with 26 points, leading United to a 107-96 win at Hisense Arena. Adelaide’s scoring was led by Daniel Johnson (18 points) and Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).
Game two saw Adelaide come out strong, with Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points), and Ramone Moore (17 points) leading the charge for a 15-point win (110-95) over Melbourne. Prather, who had re-joined the team for the Grand Final series, led United with 20 points alongside Goulding’s 19. The victory was bittersweet for Adelaide, as Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the series.
Back in Melbourne for game three, tensions flared as Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashed with Prather following a three-pointer just before halftime. Sobey was ejected after a disqualifying foul, and tempers continued to rise post-game, leading to a hefty fine for 36ers coach Joey Wright for comments about the officiating. Melbourne emerged with a narrow win (101-98), clinched as Majok Deng missed a last-second three-pointer. Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points), and Goulding (15 points, including three clutch triples) led United.
In game four, Adelaide’s Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) returned with a strong first-half performance, contributing to a 55-31 halftime lead. Adelaide won comfortably (90-81), with Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) topping the scoring for their teams.
In the deciding game five, Chris Goulding and Casper Ware both tallied 23 points, while Prather added 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals, leading Melbourne to its first NBL title as United with a 100-82 victory over the 36ers at a packed Hisense Arena. Shannon Shorter led Adelaide with 20 points, and Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the series. Prather claimed his third NBL title, becoming the first player to win three consecutive championships in his first three seasons.
2019/20
On July 17, 2019, Prather returned to Melbourne United, signing a two-year deal. However, he missed the first seven games of the season following knee surgery. Prather appeared in six of the next eight games but then missed the remainder of the season due to a hamstring tear, finishing with averages of 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds, below his usual output.
Melbourne ended the season in fourth place with a 15–13 record and fell to the Sydney Kings in three games in the semifinals. Prather and United mutually agreed to terminate his contract on August 20, 2020.
BRISBANE BULLETS
2023/24
Prather joined the Brisbane Bullets as an injury replacement early in 2023, covering for forward DJ Mitchell, who was sidelined with an injury.
Casey Prather currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 98 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists since entering the league in 2015.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Brisbane Bullets – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)
2nd Year Team Option
HIGHLIGHTS:
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.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 33 | Brisbane | 1-3 (9) | 20 | 50.0 | 51 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 50 | 40% | 2 | 16 | 13% | 9 | 10 | 90% | 47% | 42% | 17 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | Brisbane | 13-15 (7) | 7 | 102.0 | 47 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 49 | 35% | 7 | 17 | 41% | 6 | 8 | 75% | 45% | 42% | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 28 | Melbourne | 15-13 (4) | 6 | 102.0 | 56 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 49 | 45% | 4 | 14 | 29% | 8 | 8 | 100% | 53% | 49% | 17 |
| 2017-18 | 26 | Melbourne | 20-8 (1) | 23 | 650.0 | 366 | 136 | 47 | 44 | 92 | 31 | 11 | 40 | 64 | 136 | 302 | 45% | 31 | 85 | 36% | 63 | 78 | 81% | 54% | 50% | 25 |
| 2016-17 | 25 | Perth | 15-13 (3) | 31 | 977.0 | 606 | 144 | 102 | 45 | 99 | 52 | 4 | 105 | 80 | 208 | 488 | 43% | 34 | 107 | 32% | 156 | 195 | 80% | 52% | 46% | 39 |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Perth | 18-10 (2) | 27 | 691.0 | 439 | 121 | 49 | 35 | 86 | 32 | 11 | 57 | 72 | 148 | 321 | 46% | 23 | 61 | 38% | 120 | 149 | 81% | 56% | 50% | 27 | Totals | 98 | 2546 | 1565 | 457 | 219 | 145 | 312 | 129 | 34 | 228 | 245 | 551 | 1259 | 43.8% | 101 | 300 | 33.7% | 362 | 448 | 80.8% | 54% | 48% | 39 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 33 | Brisbane | 1-3 (9) | 20 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 40% | 0.1 | 0.8 | 13% | 0.5 | 0.5 | 90% | 47% | 42% | 17 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | Brisbane | 13-15 (7) | 7 | 14.6 | 6.7 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 7.0 | 35% | 1.0 | 2.4 | 41% | 0.9 | 1.1 | 75% | 45% | 42% | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 28 | Melbourne | 15-13 (4) | 6 | 17.0 | 9.3 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 8.2 | 45% | 0.7 | 2.3 | 29% | 1.3 | 1.3 | 100% | 53% | 49% | 17 |
| 2017-18 | 26 | Melbourne | 20-8 (1) | 23 | 28.3 | 15.9 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 5.9 | 13.1 | 45% | 1.3 | 3.7 | 36% | 2.7 | 3.4 | 81% | 54% | 50% | 25 |
| 2016-17 | 25 | Perth | 15-13 (3) | 31 | 31.5 | 19.5 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 15.7 | 43% | 1.1 | 3.5 | 32% | 5.0 | 6.3 | 80% | 52% | 46% | 39 |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Perth | 18-10 (2) | 27 | 25.6 | 16.3 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 11.9 | 46% | 0.9 | 2.3 | 38% | 4.4 | 5.5 | 81% | 56% | 50% | 27 | Total | 98 | 26.0 | 16.0 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 5.6 | 12.8 | 43.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.7% | 1.0 | 3.1 | 80.8% | 54% | 48% | 39 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 39 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Prather played for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2014 Las Vegas Summer League. In five games, he averaged 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. He later signed with the Phoenix Suns on September 26, but was waived on October 14 after appearing in one preseason game. In November, he joined the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. In January, he helped the Jam win the inaugural NBA Development League Showcase Cup, scoring 16 points in the final against the Grand Rapids Drive.
On March 22, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 124–113 win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Jam finished with a 34–16 record and entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, the Jam faced the Austin Spurs, but despite winning the opening contest, they went on to lose the series in three games. Prather had his best effort of the series In game two, scoring 21 points. In 49 games for Bakersfield in 2014/15, he averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
After his first NBL season Prather joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2016 Orlando Summer League, where he averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 steals in five games. He then returned to Perth to play the 2016-17 season in the NBL.
Prather played at the 2017 NBA Summer League with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In four games, he averaged 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Germany - ratiopharm Ulm (2017) | Greece - Promitheas Patras (2018) | Israel - Hapoel Eilat (2020-21)
In April 2017, Prather joined German team ratiopharm Ulm for the rest of the 2016/17 Basketball Bundesliga season. He helped the team reach the BBL semi finals. In 13 games, he averaged 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
After winning a championship with Melbourne Prather signed with Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League (April 2018). He appeared in the teams final four games of the regular season and then in all eight of their playoff games, which included losing both the semi finals and the third-place series. In 12 games, he averaged 11.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
On July 24, 2018, Prather signed with Russian team BC Khimki on a 1+1 contract. However, a clean-out of his knee resulted in his departure from Russia, as he was replaced on the roster by Garlon Green in November and was unable to make his debut for Khimki.
After his released from Melbourne United and rehabbing his injuries Prather signed with Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League in August 2020. He averaged 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals during the regular season. He had a 41-point game during the regular season and finished with a new club record of 631 points in total. He was subsequently named Israeli League MVP for the 2020/21 season. He was also named to the All-Israeli League Team.
He helped Hapoel Eilat reach the semi finals, but sustained a knee injury during the dying seconds of the elimination match. He averaged 22.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in the playoffs.
On October 6, 2021, Prather re-signed with Hapoel Eilat until 2023 however his knee injury will sideline him until March 2022. While in Israel he was named MVP of the league, averaging 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
COLLEGE
Prather played four seasons of college basketball for coach Billy Donovan's at the University of Florida. Over his first three college seasons, Prather was a key role player off the bench.
As a junior in 2012/13, Prather played in 29 games with two starting assignments, and averaged a career-best 6.2 points per game. He twice scored a season-high 12 points, and had a 11-point game in Florida's Sweet 16 win over Florida Gulf Coast.
As a senior year in 2013/14, Prather stepped up to become a key scorer for the Gators, more than doubling his scoring average from his junior year. He led the Gators in scoring and was named first-team All-SEC. He became the third Gator under Billy Donovan to record three 27-point games in a single season, joining Nick Calathes (2008/09) and Teddy Dupay (2000/01). He totaled six 20-point games, including his career-best 28 points in Florida's season opener against North Florida. This increase in production was a key factor for Florida becoming one of the top team's of the 2013/14 season.
For the fourth straight year, the Gators reached the Regional Finals, where they defeated Dayton to move on to the Final Four. In the National semi finals, the Gators were defeated by Connecticut to fall short of reaching the Championship Game, despite a 15-point effort from Prather. In 37 games (35 starts) for the Gators in 2013/14, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team- Israeli League MVP (2021)
-
All-Israeli League Team (2021)
-
First-team All-SEC (2014)
Related
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