Mick Downer on NBL Talent in Japan, NBL vs B.League, and Offensive Rebounding
April 3, 2026
DJ Newbill
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 22/05/92
- Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 95
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Southern Miss (2010–2011) Penn State (2012–2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 5/03/20
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: New Zealand 2018 | Cairns 2019-20
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Dj Newbill was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) where he attended Strawberry Mansion High School in Philadelphia.
As a junior in 2008/09, he averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game and garnered Second Team All-State and All-Public League honours.
As a senior in 2009/10, he was named the Pennsylvania Class AA Player of the Year and Public League Player of the Year after averaging 24.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game. He led Strawberry Mansion to a 28–2 record, and the Class AA State Championship.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Dj Newbill made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.
After a injury decimated season, New Zealand looked to rebuild in Paul Henare’s second year as coach. Kevin Dillard, who joined the team for the last nine games, was retained and it was hoped that the on court success witnessed during the last month of the season would be able to be extended across NBL18. The major move of the off-season saw the Breakers cut ties with Corey Webster after multiple situations where the two parties no longer saw eye to eye. This led to Webster first signing a two-year deal with Perth, then after turning the heads of some European team’s whilst playing in the 2017 NBA Summer League, requested a release prior to the NBL season starting. The remainder of the roster was retained and with league expanding the number of import a team can sign from two to three, added backcourt duo DJ Newbill and Édgar Sosa.
New Zealand then started the season in hot form, going 6–1 after five rounds thanks to the selflessness of Newbill (13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals) and Sosa (15.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Back-up guard Shea Ili (9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) also posted impressive numbers, becoming a vital piece of the team’s second unit and claimed the NBL’s Most Improved Player at the end of the season.
With a win over the Perth Wildcats on 9 November, the Breakers moved to a 7–1 record, tying their best start in franchise history. They went on to defeat Perth again three days later, moving them to a 8–1 record. They moved to 9–1 with a win over Brisbane on 19 November, as they headed into the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification break atop the NBL ladder and on a nine-game winning streak.
After returning from the FIBA break, the Breakers lost four out of their first five games and dropped to 10–5 following Round 10. With Dillard (18.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals) injured, they chose to bring in NBA player Rakeem Christmas (7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds) in early January to bolster their squad.
Despite finishing the regular season with back-to-back losses, New Zealand finished in fourth place (15–13) and went on to face Melbourne and former coach Dean Vickerman in the semifinals. United handed the Breakers back-to-back defeats in the semifinals, following a overtime loss in Game 2 (88–86). Club legend Kirk Penney played (10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) his final NBL game in the game two loss, finishing with a 17-point effort.
CAIRNS TAIPANS
2018/19
In 2019, Newbill was a major part of the Taipans roster. He was the only Taipan to finish top four in club scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals. He also set a new career high with 32 points in January 2019, including 15 points in final quarter. Newbill averaged 14.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, playing a key role in the Taipans rotation, helping the team finish with a record of 6-22.
2019/20
The 2019/20 season saw Newbill average 18.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists and play a key role in helping the Taipans to a third place finish in the regular season with a 16-12 record.
Newbill was also named to the All-NBL Second Team.
Dj Newbill played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the New Zealand Breakers and the Cairns Taipans. He averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 86 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 27 | Cairns | 16-12 (3) | 30 | 1,001.3 | 554 | 90 | 91 | 18 | 72 | 38 | 3 | 53 | 71 | 192 | 380 | 51% | 68 | 163 | 42% | 102 | 120 | 85% | 63% | 59% | 31 |
| 2018-19 | 26 | Cairns | 6-22 (8) | 27 | 849.7 | 385 | 109 | 67 | 24 | 85 | 31 | 6 | 59 | 63 | 136 | 326 | 42% | 44 | 131 | 34% | 69 | 109 | 63% | 51% | 48% | 32 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 29 | 885.5 | 405 | 125 | 94 | 43 | 82 | 40 | 3 | 59 | 74 | 151 | 340 | 44% | 46 | 126 | 37% | 57 | 84 | 68% | 53% | 51% | 25 | Totals | 86 | 2736 | 1344 | 324 | 252 | 85 | 239 | 109 | 12 | 171 | 208 | 479 | 1046 | 45.8% | 158 | 420 | 37.6% | 228 | 313 | 72.8% | 57% | 53% | 32 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 27 | Cairns | 16-12 (3) | 30 | 33.4 | 18.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 6.4 | 12.7 | 51% | 2.3 | 5.4 | 42% | 3.4 | 4.0 | 85% | 63% | 59% | 31 |
| 2018-19 | 26 | Cairns | 6-22 (8) | 27 | 31.5 | 14.3 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 5.0 | 12.1 | 42% | 1.6 | 4.9 | 34% | 2.6 | 4.0 | 63% | 51% | 48% | 32 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 29 | 30.5 | 14.0 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 5.2 | 11.7 | 44% | 1.6 | 4.3 | 37% | 2.0 | 2.9 | 68% | 53% | 51% | 25 | Total | 86 | 31.8 | 15.6 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 12.2 | 45.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.6% | 1.8 | 4.9 | 72.8% | 57% | 53% | 32 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 32 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
In April 2015, prior to the 2015 NBA draft, Newbill competed in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and helped his team Cherry Bekaert win the championship while claiming Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team honours.
After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Newbill joined the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2015 NBA Summer League. In four games for the Clippers, he averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- France - ASVEL (2015–2016) | Turkey - Akhisar Belediyespor (2016) | Belgium - Telenet Oostende (2016–2017) | Poland - Polski Cukier Toruń (2018) | Russia - Avtodor Saratov (2019) | Japan - Osaka Evessa (2020–2023), Utsunomiya Brex (2023–2026)
Newbill joined ASVEL for the 2015–16 LNB Pro A season in France after signing on July 29, 2015, and he parted ways with ASVEL on January 11, 2016 after averaging 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 15 LNB Pro A games while also averaging 13.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals in seven FIBA Europe Cup games.
Newbill signed with Akhisar Belediyespor in February 2016 for the rest of the 2015–16 Turkish second division season and averaged 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals in eight games.
He joined Telenet Oostende for the 2016–17 season in Belgium after signing on July 17, 2016, helping the club win the Belgian League championship and Belgian Cup while reaching the Belgian Supercup final and averaging 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 45 league games, 8.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in six FIBA Europe Cup games, and 5.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 14 Basketball Champions League games.
Newbill signed with Polski Cukier Toruń for the 2017–18 Polish Basketball League season and helped the club finish the season before later moving to Russia.
Newbill joined Avtodor Saratov for the 2018–19 VTB United League season after signing on February 28, 2019, and he averaged 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 11 VTB United League games.
Newbill signed with Osaka Evessa for the 2020–21 Japanese B.League season on August 21, 2020, and averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 52 games.
He remained with Osaka Evessa for the 2021–22 Japanese B.League season and averaged 23.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 44 games.
Newbill stayed with Osaka Evessa for the 2022–23 Japanese B.League season and averaged 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 60 games.
On June 30, 2023, Newbill signed with Utsunomiya Brex for the 2023–24 Japanese B.League season and averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 63 games while earning B.League MVP honours in 2024.
Newbill remained with Utsunomiya Brex for the 2024–25 Japanese B.League season and averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 55 games while winning B.League MVP, B.League Finals MVP and the B.League championship in 2025.
Newbill then helped Utsunomiya Brex win the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia title and earned tournament MVP and All-Star Five honours after averaging 24.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
Newbill played for Utsunomiya Brex in the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup and averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists while recording 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against Unicaja Málaga.
Newbill continued with Utsunomiya Brex for the 2025–26 Japanese B.League season and averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists through the verified season sample while also averaging 23.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals in East Asia Super League play.
COLLEGE
D.J. Newbill began his NCAA career at Southern Miss in 2010–11 and immediately stepped into a major role on a veteran Golden Eagles team that finished 22–10, ranking third on the roster in scoring at 9.2 points per game and second in rebounding at 6.2 per game.
He started all 32 games as a freshman, averaged 30.5 minutes per contest, and shot 53.5 percent from the field to earn Conference USA All-Freshman Team honours, while also recording six double-doubles and leading Southern Miss in rebounding in 11 different games.
Newbill’s best rebounding night at Southern Miss came in a 64–51 win at UTEP in mid-February, when he posted 15 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, reinforcing his impact as a two-way freshman contributor despite playing up in experience against older lineups in Conference USA.
In August 2011, Newbill transferred to Penn State and was required to sit out the 2011–12 season under NCAA transfer regulations, preserving three seasons of eligibility beginning in 2012–13.
When he became eligible at Penn State in 2012–13, Newbill was thrust into expanded responsibility early in the season and finished the year as the team’s leading scorer at 16.3 points per game while also leading the Nittany Lions in assists at 4.0 per game, ranking second on the roster in rebounds at 5.0 per game and adding 1.2 steals per contest, with his season including a career-high 27 points against Michigan State on January 16, 2013.
Newbill’s role and recognition continued to climb in 2013–14, when he was named Second Team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media and added NABC All-District 7 second-team recognition, highlighted by a signature late-game performance against Ohio State on January 29, 2014 when he scored the tying and game-winning field goals and finished with 25 points.
As a senior in 2014–15, Newbill earned Second Team All-Big Ten honours again, was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team, and averaged 20.7 points per game across 34 games, with one of the defining moments of his final season coming on March 8, 2015 when he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Minnesota and finished with 31 points in the 79–76 win.
Across his Penn State career from 2012–13 to 2014–15, Newbill produced three straight heavy-minute seasons and finished his overall NCAA career across Southern Miss and Penn State with 131 games played and 124 starts while averaging 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, combining high-usage scoring at the Big Ten level with the rebounding and efficiency base he established as a freshman starter in Conference USA.
AWARDS
- 1x time NBL Best Defensive Player (2020)
- 1x All-NBL Second Team
Related
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