Brett Wheeler
July 23, 2020
Darren Smith
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 27322
- Place of Birth: Box Hill (VIC)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 91
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Nunawading
- College:
- NBL DEBUT: 34432
- AGE AT DEBUT: 19
- LAST NBL GAME: 37625
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Townsville 1994 | Hobart 1993-96 | Sydney 1999-00 | Victoria 2001-03
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Darren Smith was born in Box Hill (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Nunawading basketball program.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Darren Smith made his NBL debut with the Hobart Devils at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
In 1994, Smith averaged 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists as the Devils finished with a record of 2-24 and in third place during the regular season.
1995
By 1995 Hobart was struggling financially, and coach Bill Tomlinson would continually struggle to maintain a roster with his younger talent being snapped up by richer team’s while his veteran players were retiring. Anthony Stewart (Perth) and imports Lamont Middleton and Calvin Talford (both Europe) were not retained from the previous season as all three received more lucrative offers elsewhere. Wayne McDaniel retired, as did Keith Nelson, after a severe knee injury. Veteran point guard Darren Perry, who himself was still recovering from a ACL injury, was the only player from the team’s fully contracted roster to return in 1995.
Tomlinson would add Jerome Scott and veteran big man Andre Moore from Brisbane as the team’s import players.
The team would be led by Scott (23.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) and Moore (17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds) over the course of a difficult season where the team managed only four wins for the entire year. The only bright spots that season were the emergence of rookies Smith, who averaged 12 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, and David Stiff, who would fill the stat sheet during his rookie season, averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks. The 19-year-old’s stellar play earning him the 1994 NBL Rookie of the Year award.
1996
The 1996 season saw Smith average 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists and play a key role in helping the Devils to a 8-18 record.
SYDNEY KINGS
1998/99
After a number of season’s spent playing in the state league Smith returned to the NBL, signing a deal to play with the Sydney Kings for the 1998/99 season.
Sydney underwent a number of key losses as the NBL shifted from a winter competition to a summer one in 1998. The biggest ones being Shane Heal heading to play in Greece for Near East, team Captain Bruce Bolden leaving to play for a brand new NBL team, the West Sydney Razorbacks, and Brad Williams and Stephen Whitehead, who both were not re-signed by the team. Ben Castle (Brisbane) and Darren Smith (state league) signed as their replacements.
In their place, coach Tomlinson chose to build the squad around young local talent Matthew Nielsen and Aaron Trahair. Veteran point guard Brad Rosen was named team captain after the loss of Bolden and Kelsey Weems, who joined the team with 12 games left in the previous season, was re-signed and paired incoming import Alonzo Goldston.
The Kings’ opening game came against Bolden’s Razorbacks, in their NBL debut. Sydney lost, 97-103, and went on to lose seven of their next eight games.
This saw the axe fall on import Goldston (14.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in six games), and NBA big man Acie Earl signed as his replacement.
Earl was a monster, standing 208cm and 110kg, who had spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics before being selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 expansion draft. Earl didn’t take the Celtics’ decision to let him go kindly and exploded for 40 points against his former team when they met the following season.
His 1998/99 season statistically is one of the most efficient in NBL history. Five games in, he dropped 33 points (12/19 shooting) and collected 12 rebounds while holding Brisbane’s star big man Thadderous Delaney to 4 of 14 shots, and he finished the year averaging 21.6 points (on 50% shooting), 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game.
Beyond Earl, the remainder of the team’s roster was a little hit-and-miss this season. While Weems (15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals) didn’t have the same impact as the previous season, the continued development of Matt Nielsen (20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks) who boosted his scoring from 16.4 points the previous season, saw him become the new face of the franchise.
The Kings couldn’t seem to win at home (5–8) or abroad (4-9) and finished the season in ninth place, missing out on the playoffs once again.
Smith rounded out the season by averaging 6.1 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
1999/00
In 1999/00, Smith averaged 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists, playing a key role in the King’s rotation, helping the team finish reach a seventh place finish in the regular season with a 11-17 record.
VICTORIA TITANS
2000/01
After three years in the NBA, Chris Anstey returned to play for Brian Goorjian and the Titans. Although Anstey’s signature was a major coup, Victoria also suffered a major loss with Frank Drmic signing with Brisbane. In a surprise move, however, Drmic would exercise a European out clause before the start of the season and head overseas before backflipping, returning to Australia and inking a deal with the Sydney Kings. To fit Anstey in, Victoria released Nathan Taylor (to Melbourne), replaced David Smith with Jason Smith’s older brother Darren and signed Kiwi guard Mark Dickel to replace Drmic. Dickel, who just graduated from UNLV, was signed as a import player as New Zealand players weren’t considered local players in the NBL until 2003.
Dickel (13.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists) and Jason Smith (20.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists) formed quite a duo, with Smith leading the team in scoring while having a career-high scoring season himself.
Anstey (16.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks) returned a vastly improved player from the NBA, but coach Goorjian surprised many by bringing Anstey off the bench this season, favouring Brett Wheeler (13 points and 8 rebounds) in the starting lineup as he looked to replicate the success of the double-headed centre that was Anstey and John Dorge during the Magic’s 1996 championship run. Darren Smith would also play a key role for the Titans this season, averaging 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.
Later, young players Marcus Wright and Pero Vasiljevic, originally signed as development players, were elevated into the roster during the season as a result of mid-season injuries to Ben Pepper, and the Titans finished the year in first place with a franchise-best record of 22-6. Anstey, who was named Titans MVP that season and the fact he did it all from the bench, made him a easy choice for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
This saw them face off against long-time rivals, the sixth-placed Adelaide 36ers and behind a season high scoring performance from Anstey (27 points and collected 16 rebounds) took out game one (101-96). The Sixers, behind star duo Darnell Mee and Kevin Brooks, would then rebound to win games two (96-83) and three (115-103). Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists) and Brooks (25 points and 7 rebounds) put up big numbers over the three-game series.
As a result of finishing first, the Titans being the highest placed loser in the Qualifying Finals allowed them to proceed to the semi finals. There they would face the Townsville Crocodiles, led by 37 year old Robert Rose, who had just become the league’s oldest winner of the NBL’s MVP award. Thanks to veteran players Tony Ronaldson (22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists) and Darryl McDonald (20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) stepped up and delivered a game one win for Victoria (106-97). a injury to Anstey in the early moments of game two saw him miss the remainder of the series, which saw the Titans lose both game two (98-82) and three (101-97). A major factor was Anstey suffering a injury in the early moments of game two which kept him out of both games.
In a twist of fate, the Crocodiles roster was made up of a number of players discarded by Brian Goorjian in recent years. In addition to Rose, both Pat Reidy and Mike Kelly were Titans cast-offs, both playing huge roles in eliminating the Titans. Reidy (19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists) was a equal game high scorer (with Rose and Andrew Goodwin) in game two, while Kelly (17 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists) was the clear difference maker in the deciding game three.
The Titans falling short of the Grand Final was also the first time a Brian Goorjian team hadn’t reached a NBL Grand Final since 1996 (seven years).
2001/02
After the Titans failed to reach the Grand Final in 2001, the first time a Brian Goorjian team hadn’t reached a NBL Grand Final in seven years. It was decided the triple big man rotation of Chris Anstey, Brett Wheeler, and Ben Pepper wasn’t working, and as a result, Pepper was not re-signed. As a result of Darryl McDonald becoming a naturalised Australian, the team used its second import spot to sign power forward Jamahl Mosely as his replacement. Mark Dickel remained the team’s second import, as New Zealand players were not considered local players until 2003. The Titans’ next moves were replacing Glen Siegle with young guard Nathan Crosswell who had been playing for the Melbourne Tigers state league squad.
Anstey would move into the starting lineup this season, and alongside team captain Tony Ronaldson, Jason Smith, Brad Sheridan and McDonald guide the team to a first place regular season finish for the second year in a row.
The team featured six players scoring in double-figures that year with team captain Ronaldson (19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds) leading the team in scoring, Anstey (16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks) filling each section of the box score each night (he be named Titans club MVP at the end of the season) and Mosely (11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds), who had a dominant season off the bench and became the first import player to win the league’s sixth man of the year award. As well as Jason Smith (18.8 points and 5.4 rebounds), Darryl McDonald (12.0 points and 7.3 assists), Mark Dickel (11.6 points) rounded out perhaps the most well rounded scoring attacks in league history, with Smith also contributing 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
The first stage of the playoffs saw Victoria take on sixth-placed Melbourne and, after winning game one (113-107), went on to lose games two (105–107) and three (103-97). As a result of finishing first, they progressed to the next stage as a result of being the highest-ranked losing team in the Qualifying Finals. This time, facing third-ranked Adelaide this time, the Titans lost game one in Melbourne 92-99, evened the series with a 86-81 win in Adelaide, then lost game three 103-92. The loss would become the last game for the Victoria Titans franchise, with the team falling into financial strife shortly after. The team would sell their licence to a group comprising a number of former North Melbourne Giants staff headed by Peter Fiddes and rebranding to the Victoria Giants.
VICTORIA GIANTS
2002/03 – TITANS BECOME GIANTS
After Victoria Titans folded in mid-2002, a group fronted by businessman Peter Fiddes was granted a licence in their place, and with new ownership primarily made up of former North Melbourne personnel, still upset about the Giants/Magic merger in 1998, re-branded the team to the Giants.
The team was put together on a shoestring budget and could not retain head coach Brian Goorjian nor the majority of the team’s higher-profile talent. The club was able to re-sign veteran Darryl McDonald and import Jamahl Mosely to new (reduced) deals but lacked the financial backing to re-sign much of the local talent losing Chris Anstey, Jason Smith and Mark Dickel to more lucrative European contracts and Tony Ronaldson and Brett Wheeler to the Perth Wildcats.
The Giants had been able to re-sign some of the Titans’ younger talent, Nathan Crosswell, Darren Smith and Marcus Wright and committed to giving them increased minutes and becoming a club focused on giving young Aussie talent a pathway to the NBL. This saw the team fill the remaining roster spots with young players who had been playing in the state leagues, giving them their first big break into the national league. Nik Mirich, who had just graduated from George Mason University, was signed, both Lindsey Tait and Miles Pearce were recruited from the semi-professional New Zealand NBL and Rhys Carter (AIS), David Cooper (Dandenong Rangers) and 36-year-old David Biwer (Nunawading) who had all been playing in the SEABL state league rounded out the bench.
The team would be led by former North Melbourne backup guard Mark Wright, who helped the Giants win a championship in 1989. First year coach Wright and the Giants and budget roster had been picked to finish last on the ladder and began the season with a 95-85 loss to the Wildcats in Perth. The team would surprise everyone by beating the West Sydney Razorbacks 122–106 in their home opener before reeling off demolition of their crosstown rivals Melbourne, defeating them 130–102.
The team were led by Jamahl Mosely (21.2 points, 9.5 rebounds) and team captain Darryl McDonald (14.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists and a league leading 2.4 steals), while mid-season addition Pero Vasiljevic (16.5 points, 8.3 rebounds) and Nathan Crosswell (15.1 points, 2.9 assists) grabbed the increased playing opportunities by the horns and moved into the starting lineup. Smith would also add 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
By round nine, Victoria was sitting on a respectable four win, five loss record and were in the middle of the NBL ladder.
The wheels truly fell off from here, however, as the Giants lost the next seven games in a row, culminating with the release of import forward Dusty Rychart (16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds) was viewed as underperforming. The team quickly signed former Magic star Adonis Jordan as his replacement, whose presence didn’t change anything in the win-loss column. The Giants (9-21) went on to finish second from the bottom of the ladder (above Brisbane).
Darren Smith played eight seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Hobart Devils, Victoria Titans, Sydney Kings and Victoria Giants. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 201 NBL games.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 28 | Victoria | 9-21 (10) | 17 | 520.0 | 232 | 96 | 27 | 31 | 65 | 18 | 8 | 33 | 68 | 89 | 214 | 42% | 14 | 59 | 24% | 40 | 51 | 78% | 49% | 45% | 22 |
| 2001-02 | 27 | Victoria | 21-9 (1) | 28 | 669.0 | 247 | 107 | 43 | 47 | 60 | 22 | 3 | 41 | 85 | 106 | 214 | 50% | 11 | 46 | 24% | 24 | 42 | 57% | 53% | 52% | 18 |
| 2000-01 | 26 | Victoria | 22-6 (1) | 27 | 459.0 | 179 | 99 | 20 | 33 | 66 | 25 | 3 | 28 | 53 | 69 | 148 | 47% | 14 | 48 | 29% | 27 | 33 | 82% | 55% | 51% | 21 |
| 1999-00 | 25 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 26 | 413.0 | 150 | 68 | 30 | 29 | 39 | 8 | 1 | 27 | 60 | 59 | 131 | 45% | 19 | 52 | 37% | 13 | 25 | 52% | 52% | 52% | 17 |
| 1998-99 | 24 | Sydney | 9-17 (10) | 25 | 471.0 | 153 | 76 | 23 | 28 | 48 | 23 | 6 | 26 | 60 | 66 | 140 | 47% | 0 | 5 | 0% | 21 | 31 | 68% | 49% | 47% | 18 |
| 1996 | 21 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 26 | 686.0 | 201 | 88 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 41 | 10 | 59 | 88 | 79 | 205 | 39% | 7 | 38 | 18% | 36 | 67 | 54% | 42% | 40% | 24 |
| 1995 | 21 | Hobart | 4-22 (14) | 26 | 895.0 | 311 | 127 | 82 | 50 | 77 | 34 | 15 | 70 | 105 | 125 | 267 | 47% | 23 | 57 | 40% | 38 | 52 | 73% | 53% | 51% | 21 |
| 1994 | 19 | Hobart | 2-24 (13) | 26 | 348.0 | 108 | 63 | 33 | 24 | 39 | 19 | 5 | 35 | 62 | 44 | 111 | 40% | 5 | 17 | 29% | 15 | 22 | 68% | 44% | 42% | 12 | Totals | 201 | 4461 | 1581 | 724 | 297 | 285 | 439 | 190 | 51 | 319 | 581 | 637 | 1430 | 44.5% | 93 | 322 | 28.9% | 214 | 323 | 66.3% | 0.5028242119 | 0.477972028 | 24 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 28 | Victoria | 9-21 (10) | 17 | 30.6 | 13.6 | 5.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 5.2 | 12.6 | 42% | 0.8 | 3.5 | 24% | 2.4 | 3.0 | 78% | 49% | 45% | 22 |
| 2001-02 | 27 | Victoria | 21-9 (1) | 28 | 23.9 | 8.8 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 7.6 | 50% | 0.4 | 1.6 | 24% | 0.9 | 1.5 | 57% | 53% | 52% | 18 |
| 2000-01 | 26 | Victoria | 22-6 (1) | 27 | 17.0 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 47% | 0.5 | 1.8 | 29% | 1.0 | 1.2 | 82% | 55% | 51% | 21 |
| 1999-00 | 25 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 26 | 15.9 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 5.0 | 45% | 0.7 | 2.0 | 37% | 0.5 | 1.0 | 52% | 52% | 52% | 17 |
| 1998-99 | 24 | Sydney | 9-17 (10) | 25 | 18.8 | 6.1 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 47% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 0.8 | 1.2 | 68% | 49% | 47% | 18 |
| 1996 | 21 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 26 | 26.4 | 7.7 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 7.9 | 39% | 0.3 | 1.5 | 18% | 1.4 | 2.6 | 54% | 42% | 40% | 24 |
| 1995 | 21 | Hobart | 4-22 (14) | 26 | 34.4 | 12.0 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 10.3 | 47% | 0.9 | 2.2 | 40% | 1.5 | 2.0 | 73% | 53% | 51% | 21 |
| 1994 | 19 | Hobart | 2-24 (13) | 26 | 13.4 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 4.3 | 40% | 0.2 | 0.7 | 29% | 0.6 | 0.8 | 68% | 44% | 42% | 12 | Total | 201 | 22.2 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.169154229 | 7.114427861 | 44.5% | 0.002216191768 | 0.002216191768 | 28.9% | 0.4626865672 | 1.60199005 | 66.3% | 0.5028242119 | 0.477972028 | 24 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 24 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Dandenong (1990, 2004), Nunawading (1993, 2011), Hobart (1997–1998), Waverley (2005–2008)
Smith joined Dandenong for the 1990 SEABL season, entering senior state league basketball before later moving through the Nunawading pathway and into the national league.
Smith joined Nunawading for the 1993 SEABL season, returning to the club where he had developed through the junior and senior system. That season sat before his national league debut period, with Nunawading remaining a key part of his state league timeline.
Smith joined Hobart for the 1997 SEABL season after his early national league years with Hobart. He continued with Hobart in 1998, giving the club a state league guard-forward option during the period between his first national league stint and his later move back into the national competition.
Smith returned to Dandenong for the 2004 SEABL season, adding another Victorian state league stop after his national league career. The stint came before his move to Waverley, keeping him active in the senior state league system after eight national league seasons.
Smith joined Waverley for the 2005 Big V season and remained with the Falcons through the 2008 Big V season. Waverley’s 2005 group finished second overall, and his 2007 season included a Falcons finals run after the team finished fifth overall, beat Melbourne 135–128 in overtime in the quarter-final, then lost 115–112 to Sandringham in the semi-final.
Smith returned to Nunawading for the 2011 SEABL season, closing his senior playing career back at the club connected to his junior and early senior development. He was a SEABL champion with Nunawading in 2011, finishing a state league career that included 200 SEABL games.
LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
In 2023, Darren Smith joined the JackJumpers as Chief Operating Officer.
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