NBL Tribunal Needs Overhaul After a Decade of Inconsistencies
September 16, 2024
Demitrius Conger
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 29/05/90
- Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 93
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: St. Bonaventure (2009–2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 6/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 27
- LAST NBL GAME: 15/02/19
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Illawarra 2018 | Adelaide 2019
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Demitrius Conger was born in Brooklyn, New York (USA). He spent three years at Covenant Christian Academy in Cumming, Georgia. He averaged 18 points per game as a junior in 2007/08 en route to leading the Crusaders to a 20–9 record and a National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) Elite League Championship.
As a senior in 2008/09, he averaged 24 points per game and was named to the NACA All-Tournament team.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Demitrius Conger made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 27 years of age. He scored 16 points in his first game.
On August 11, 2017, Demitrius Conger signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2017–18 NBL season. Conger made an immediate impact, playing 27 games and averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. The Hawks were on track to make the playoffs, but a mid-season incident saw Conger receive a striking charge after a hard screen on Kings forward Brad Newley. This suspension led to the Hawks dropping both games during Conger’s absence, ultimately finishing in fifth place (12–16), needing just one more win to qualify for the playoffs.
Conger’s stellar performance saw him finish second in league MVP voting and earn a spot on the All-NBL First Team.
Breaking news. @illawarrahawks forward Demitrius Conger suspended for striking Brad Newley in #SYDatILL. More at https://t.co/ytaJ12pjyw #NBL18 pic.twitter.com/ULFJuh72bj
— NBL (@NBL) November 20, 2017
ADELAIDE 36ERS
2018/19
After narrowly missing out on the NBL championship the previous season, Adelaide entered a rebuilding phase following the departure of several key players, including Mitch Creek, who left to pursue an NBA career. Creek was initially granted permission by the 36ers to play in Germany with the understanding he’d return, but after a strong showing, he attracted the attention of the Brooklyn Nets, signing with their G-League affiliate. Adelaide filed an injunction against Basketball Australia to negotiate compensation but ultimately resolved the issue to allow Creek’s NBA aspirations to continue.
Other departures included Shannon Shorter (to Japan), Josh Childress (retired), and Matthew Hodgson (to Brisbane). Adelaide bolstered their roster with the addition of Jacob Wiley (via Germany) and point guard Adris De León. They also brought in college prospects Harry Froling and Jack McVeigh.
Returning players included Nathan Sobey, Majok Deng, Adam Doyle, Brendan Teys, Ramone Moore, and team captain Daniel Johnson. Adelaide’s season opener saw them lose to Perth (91–99), but they rebounded with a road win over the Sydney Kings (94–83) in their next game. Sobey recorded a triple-double in Round 3 against Cairns (91–83) with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, one of the season’s standout moments.
Adelaide then hit a rough patch, losing four consecutive games, including a loss to New Zealand (114–94) and Brisbane (93–90). An ultimatum was issued to De León, who struggled to deliver consistent performances. After four losses in a row, De León was released, and Adelaide signed Demitrius Conger as his replacement. Moore’s calf injury kept him sidelined, prompting the 36ers to also sign Shaun Bruce as additional support.
Conger’s season included strong performances, with highlights such as a 25-point, 4-rebound, and 3-assist game against Brisbane (94–98) on January 12, 2019, where he shot 10/16 from the field, including 2/5 from beyond the arc. In a win over Illawarra (101–100) on November 25, he scored 22 points, adding 4 rebounds and 6 assists, shooting 8 of 15 from the field. Another standout was a 19-point, 3-rebound, 6-assist performance against Illawarra on January 10, where he shot 7/8 from the floor, displaying his efficiency and playmaking abilities.
Adelaide managed to find some rhythm in Round 14, winning four consecutive games, including a significant victory over Perth (97–84) and a commanding win against Sydney (119–99). However, their inconsistency returned, and critical losses to Melbourne (114–91) and Brisbane (98–87 OT) ultimately cost them a playoff spot.
Conger finished the season averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Despite his impact, Adelaide’s playoff hopes were dashed as they finished fifth, tied with Brisbane at 14-14 but falling short due to points percentage. Alongside Conger, Daniel Johnson (17.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) and Nathan Sobey (16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) earned All-NBL Second Team honors. Other key players included Jacob Wiley (12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1 assist), Anthony Drmic (9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), and NBL Rookie of the Year Harry Froling (7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds).
Demitrius Conger was electric ⚡️
Check out his best plays in the NBL ???? pic.twitter.com/ACLeNmGpdo
— NBL (@NBL) May 23, 2024
Demitrius Conger played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Illawarra Hawks and the Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 46 NBL games.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 28 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 19 | 485.0 | 224 | 93 | 46 | 26 | 67 | 9 | 2 | 38 | 44 | 81 | 169 | 48% | 17 | 52 | 33% | 45 | 68 | 66% | 56% | 53% | 25 |
| 2017-18 | 27 | Illawarra | 12-16 (5) | 27 | 827.0 | 532 | 153 | 73 | 43 | 110 | 30 | 10 | 88 | 65 | 189 | 365 | 52% | 43 | 106 | 41% | 111 | 140 | 79% | 62% | 58% | 31 | Totals | 46 | 1312 | 756 | 246 | 119 | 69 | 177 | 39 | 12 | 126 | 109 | 270 | 534 | 50.6% | 60 | 158 | 38.0% | 156 | 208 | 75.0% | 60% | 56% | 31 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 28 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 19 | 25.5 | 11.8 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 8.9 | 48% | 0.9 | 2.7 | 33% | 2.4 | 3.6 | 66% | 56% | 53% | 25 |
| 2017-18 | 27 | Illawarra | 12-16 (5) | 27 | 30.6 | 19.7 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 7.0 | 13.5 | 52% | 1.6 | 3.9 | 41% | 4.1 | 5.2 | 79% | 62% | 58% | 31 | Total | 46 | 28.5 | 16.4 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 5.9 | 11.6 | 50.6% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38.0% | 1.3 | 3.4 | 75.0% | 60% | 56% | 31 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 31 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
In July 2018, Conger played for the Boston Celtics in the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Dominican Republic - Indios de San Francisco (2013) | Italy - Lucca (2013–2014), Roseto (2014), Omegna (2014–2015) | Greece - Aries Trikala (2015–2016) | Israel - Hapoel Tel Aviv (2016), Hapoel Jerusalem (2019) | Belgium - Antwerp Giants (2016–2017), Oostende (2021–2022) | Spain - Joventut (2018), Real Betis (2019–2020) | France - Le Mans (2018) | Germany - ratiopharm Ulm (2020–2021) | Turkey - Petkim Spor (2021) | Taiwan - New Taipei CTBC DEA (2022–2023) | Romania - Rapid București (2023–2024)
After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, Conger moved to the Dominican Republic for a seven-game stint with Indios de San Francisco while he determined where he would play in the future.
On September 11, 2013, Conger signed with Pallacanestro Lucca of the Italian Serie A2 Basket. He was forced to part ways with Lucca in late February 2014 after the team declared bankruptcy. In 23 games for Lucca in 2013–14, he averaged 15.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He spent the back end of that season training with the Roseto Sharks.
On August 12, 2014, Conger signed with Paffoni Omegna for another stint in the Serie A2 Basket. In 30 games for Omegna, he averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
The next season, he spent with Aries Trikala of the Greek Basket League. Due to financial issues Conger left Trikala in early February 2016, and joined Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 17 games for Trikala, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In 18 games for Tel Aviv, he averaged 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
On July 27, 2016, Conger signed with Antwerp Giants of the Belgian League. In 42 league games during the 2016/17 season, Conger averaged 11.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He also averaged 11.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 12 FIBA Europe Cup games.
After a season in Australia, Conger signed with Joventut Badalona of the Spanish Liga ACB (On March 2, 2018).
After a trial with the NBAs Boston Celtics, Conger signed with French team Le Mans Sarthe Basket on August 6, 2018. , he .[16] On November 13, 2018, after beginning the season in France, Conger signed with the Adelaide 36ers, returning to the Australian NBL for a second stint.[17] In 19 games played for the 36ers, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. On February 22, 2019, Conger joined Hapoel Jerusalem as a injury cover for Chris Johnson. He spent one month with the club before parting ways after appearing eight games.
On August 14, 2019, Conger signed a two-year deal with Spanish club Coosur Real Betis. He exited his contract earlier, signing with Real Betis the following season.
He played with ratiopharm Ulm of the German Basketball Bundesliga for the 2020/21 season and then signed with Petkim Spor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) for 2021/22. On November 24, 2021, Conger parted ways with Petkim Spor and a month later had signed with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League.
On December 15, 2022, Conger signed with New Taipei CTBC DEA of the T1 League. On February 21, 2023, New Taipei CTBC DEA terminated Congers contract.
Conger spent the 2023/24 season with Rapid București of the Liga Națională.
COLLEGE
As a freshman at St. Bonaventure in 2009/10, Conger saw action in 26 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes of action per outing. He scored a career-high 10 points against Savannah State on December 12 and Temple in the season finale on March 12.
As a sophomore in 2010–11, Conger started all 31 games and was fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points per game. He set a career high for points (23) and minutes played (57) in a quadruple overtime game against Ohio on December 18, 2010.
As a junior in 2011/12, Conger started all 32 games while averaging 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which both ranked second on the team to future NBA star Andrew Nicholson. Conger also led the team with 91 offensive rebounds and 33.5 minutes played per game. He turned in his fifth career double-double and first of the season with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds against Niagara on December 30, 2011 to help the Bonnies complete its first-ever sweep of the Big Four. In March 2012, Conger helped the Bonnies win the Atlantic 10 tournament while garnering Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team honours.
As a senior in 2012–13, Conger started all 29 games. He was the only player in the Atlantic 10 who led his team in points (14.3 per game), rebounds (7.1) and assists (3.2) during the season. Out of a total of 1,170 minutes of game time, he played in 1,057 (90.3 percent). On December 31, 2012, he netted a season-high 26 points and led the team with eight rebounds and two blocked shots against Iona.
Conger finished his four-year career at St. Bonaventure with 1,206 career points (26th all-time), 645 rebounds, 249 assists and 83 steals. He became just the third player all-time with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. Over his four-year career, he posted 12 double-doubles, including four each in the last three seasons. He had 58 career double-figure point games and nine contests with at least 20 points or more.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team- Belgian League champion (2022)
- Belgian Supercup champion (2017)
Related
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