Corban Wroe
July 23, 2020
Drake U’U
- Nationality: AUS/USA
- Date of Birth: 18/01/90
- Place of Birth: Sacramento, California (USA)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 196
- Weight (KG): 98
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Hartford (2008–2009) Cal Poly (2010–2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 11/10/13
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 1/03/15
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Perth 2014-15
- Championships: 1
- Perth (2014)
BIO: Drake U’U was born in Sacramento, California (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Drake U’U made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 23 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.
2014/15
After winning the 2014 NBL championship, Perth entered the 2014/15 season looking to win back-to-back titles under coach Trevor Gleeson. James Ennis (to Miami) and Erik Burdon (to Mount Gambier) departed, while Jermaine Beal, Damian Martin, Shawn Redhage, Matthew Knight, Jesse Wagstaff, Greg Hire, Tom Jervis and Drake U’u returned. DeAndre Daniels (via Connecticut), who had been selected with the 37th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and Earnest Ross (via Missouri) were added to the roster, with Martin continuing as captain.
U’u had joined the Wildcats as an injury replacement for Mathiang Muo during the previous season, helping Perth win its sixth championship and contributing eight points in the deciding Grand Final game against Adelaide. In September 2014, the club re-signed him on a three-year contract containing player and club options at the end of each season, after his player points rating was reduced from four to two under the NBL’s player points system. The change allowed Perth to retain him as the final member of its ten-man roster. Although born in California, U’u qualified as an unrestricted local player because his mother was born in Australia, allowing Perth to use its import positions on Beal and Daniels, while Guam-born Ross also qualified as a local under FIBA Oceania rules.
U’u was delighted to return to the Wildcats after winning a championship in his rookie season, saying, “Obviously winning the championship was something I’ll never forget and I’m very happy to be coming back.” He added that his focus would be doing everything possible to help Perth defend its title, recognising that rival clubs had strengthened their rosters during the off-season.
U’u (3.4 points across 29 games) remained part of Gleeson’s bench rotation, providing perimeter shooting and additional backcourt depth. After averaging 2.3 points across 32 games during his championship-winning rookie season, he received increased opportunities in his second year, appearing in 27 of Perth’s 28 regular-season games and both semifinals.
One of Perth’s biggest early setbacks came when Hire (3.5 points across 11 games) tore his left calf shortly after the season opener, leading to Muo (1.9 points across 15 games) being activated as an injury replacement. Muo remained in the rotation until January 15, when he was deactivated following Hire’s return. Knight (10.5 points and 7 rebounds across 24 games) later missed six games with a broken toe, while Ross (3.3 points across 18 games) suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Cairns on January 9 and was replaced by Luke Martin (via the state league).
U’u delivered the best and highest-scoring performance of his NBL career against Adelaide at Perth Arena on December 14, finishing with 20 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. He made all seven of his field-goal attempts, including a perfect five of five from beyond the three-point line, and added one free throw. Daniels (17 points and 8 rebounds), Knight (16 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks) and Wagstaff (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided strong support, while Jamar Wilson (26 points) led Adelaide. Perth defeated the 36ers 97-76 to improve to 10-4, with U’u’s career-best scoring performance providing an unexpected offensive lift from the bench.
Perth’s form became increasingly inconsistent as injuries disrupted its rotation, with the Wildcats losing three consecutive games during January before recovering to secure a place in the top four. Beal (16.4 points across 30 games) became Perth’s primary offensive weapon following Ennis’s departure, leading the NBL with 69 made three-pointers and winning the Gordon Ellis Medal as the Wildcats’ club MVP. Daniels (14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds across 30 games) finished second in the club’s MVP voting, while Redhage (11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) remained an important contributor before suffering a stress fracture in his right foot during the final regular-season game, ruling him out of the entire postseason.
Wagstaff (8.5 points and 4 rebounds across 30 games) continued providing scoring and outside shooting from the bench, while Jervis (7.1 points and 4.9 rebounds across 30 games) became increasingly important during Knight’s absence. Martin (6.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 steals across 30 games) anchored the defence and led the NBL in steals. Knight earned All-NBL Second Team honours and Perth’s Coaches Award, Jervis was named the club’s Most Improved Player and Martin won the NBL Best Defensive Player award for the fifth consecutive year, drawing level with Darnell Mee for the most wins in league history at the time. The Wildcats finished fourth with a 16-12 record, extending their run of consecutive postseason appearances to 29 seasons.
Perth opened its semifinal series against minor premier Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on February 27 without Redhage, where U’u contributed off the bench before being ejected in the closing moments following a hard foul on Torrey Craig as the Taipans forward attempted a dunk. Craig was sent crashing towards the barriers near the court, bringing a dramatic end to a physical contest. Beal (20 points and 4 rebounds), Daniels (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Wagstaff (12 points) led Perth’s scoring, while Martin (7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals) helped spark an 18-2 third-quarter run that brought the Wildcats back from a 13-point halftime deficit. Scottie Wilbekin (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Cameron Tragardh (16 points and 7 rebounds) led Cairns, which recovered during the fourth quarter to win 71-64. Hire suffered another calf injury during the game and was ruled out of game two.
Game two moved to Perth Arena on March 1 with both Redhage and Hire sidelined, where U’u again appeared off the bench as Beal (21 points and 4 assists) and Knight (18 points and 10 rebounds) led the Wildcats. Wilbekin (16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Stephen Weigh (16 points) led Cairns, with all five Taipans starters scoring in double figures. Perth briefly levelled the scores during the fourth quarter when Beal made a three-pointer, but Weigh responded from long range to spark a decisive 10-0 run as Cairns defeated Perth 80-68 and completed the semifinal sweep, ending the Wildcats’ championship defence.
On May 15, U’u elected not to exercise the option on his contract that would have allowed him to remain with Perth, ending his two-season NBL career after helping the Wildcats win the 2014 championship.
Drake U’U played two seasons with the Perth Wildcats. He averaged 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 25 | Perth | 16-12 (4) | 29 | 320 | 98 | 45 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 40 | 35 | 89 | 39% | 14 | 45 | 31% | 14 | 23 | 61% | 49% | 47% | |
| 2013-14 | 24 | Perth | 21-7 (1) | 32 | 211 | 73 | 30 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 32 | 24 | 63 | 38% | 13 | 38 | 34% | 12 | 18 | 67% | 51% | 48% | Totals | 61 | 531 | 171 | 75 | 33 | 28 | 47 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 72 | 59 | 152 | 38.8% | 27 | 83 | 32.5% | 26 | 41 | 63.4% | 50% | 48% | 20 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 25 | Perth | 16-12 (4) | 29 | 11.0 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 39% | 0.5 | 1.6 | 31% | 0.5 | 0.8 | 61% | 49% | 47% | |
| 2013-14 | 24 | Perth | 21-7 (1) | 32 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 38% | 0.4 | 1.2 | 34% | 0.4 | 0.6 | 67% | 51% | 48% | Total | 61 | 8.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 38.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 32.5% | 0.4 | 1.4 | 63.4% | 50% | 48% | 20 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 20 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
COLLEGE
U’u played college basketball at Hartford during the 2008–09 season before transferring to Cal Poly, where he competed from 2010–11 to 2012–13 after a redshirt year.
U’u suited up for Hartford during the 2008–09 season, when the Hawks went 7–26 overall (2–14 in America East) under head coach Dan Leibovitz.
In that 2008–09 season at Hartford, U’u appeared in 18 games and made 5 starts, averaging 11.1 minutes and 2.9 points per game while shooting 20-for-69 from the field (29.0%), 6-for-43 on three-pointers (14.0%), and 6-for-12 at the line (50.0%).
Across those 18 Hartford games, he totaled 52 points and 31 rebounds (8 offensive, 23 defensive), along with 5 assists, 7 steals, 1 block, 19 turnovers, and 199 total minutes played.
After transferring to Cal Poly, U’u redshirted the 2009–10 season, then debuted on the floor for the Mustangs in 2010–11 under head coach Joe Callero.
U’u suited up for Cal Poly during the 2010–11 season, when the Mustangs finished 15–15 overall and 10–6 in Big West play to place second in the conference, with the 10 league wins and second-place finish matching Cal Poly’s single-season program bests.
In that 2010–11 season, U’u played 18 games with 1 start, averaging 14.0 minutes, 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 28.8% from the field, 13.3% from three-point range, and 52.6% at the free-throw line, and he produced a season-high 10 points in a 55–48 win over Loyola Marymount (Nov. 24, 2010).
U’u returned in 2011–12 as Cal Poly improved to 18–15 overall and 8–8 in Big West play to finish fourth in the conference standings.
In that 2011–12 season, U’u appeared in 26 games and started 18 times, averaging 21.2 minutes, 6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 43.8% from the field, 29.2% from three, and 68.1% at the line, and he hit three three-pointers while scoring a season-high 13 points against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 26, 2011).
U’u’s 2011–12 campaign ended early after a left-hand injury forced him to miss Cal Poly’s final seven games of the season.
As a senior in 2012–13, U’u played on a Cal Poly team that went 18–14 overall and 12–6 in Big West play, finishing third in the league standings.
In that 2012–13 season, U’u appeared in 32 games and started 20, averaging 21.8 minutes, 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 34.7% from the field, 30.0% on three-pointers, and 59.2% at the free-throw line, and he logged career highs of 14 points and 8 assists against Hawai‘i (Jan. 24, 2013).
Across his three active seasons at Cal Poly (2010–11 to 2012–13), U’u played 76 games with 39 starts and averaged 19.8 minutes, 4.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.7 steals per game, finishing his college career with a 94-game total across Hartford and Cal Poly.
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