BIO: Ross was born in Guam, a United States territory in Micronesia. His parents were both in the military at the time and moved around a lot early in Ross’ life.

He moved to Hawaii and then Japan before his parents split when Ross was 5 years old. His mother, Toy, left the military in 1996 after 15 years due to 12-hour shifts keeping her way from her two children. Ross’ brother Jamel is two years younger than him.

Toy moved her sons to Washington, but she struggled to find work, sending her kids during the summers to live in Texas and Maryland with their father, who was still traveling from base to base in the military and made enough money to support the kids. When Ross was 8 years old, his mother moved the family to Chicago.

They first moved in with Toy’s sister for a year and a half before the trio got their own apartment. In addition to Toy working long hours and maintaining multiple jobs, they lived in a rough neighborhood, and were eventually evicted from their apartment and had to move in with Toy’s mother. Ross and his brother attended separate schools in the south side of Chicago. Ross was his brother’s guardian, often having to cook for both of them while also having to walk him to and from school.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Earnest Ross made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

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 and Tom Jervis 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.

Ross joined Perth on September 10, signing a three-year deal containing player and club options at the end of each season. The Guam-born guard had spent five years playing college basketball at Auburn and Missouri, averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds during his final season with Missouri. Despite being born in a United States territory, Ross qualified as a domestic player under the NBL’s FIBA Oceania rules, allowing Perth to retain its two import positions for Beal and Daniels. His signing followed the release of Mathiang Muo, who had missed the previous season with a torn Achilles tendon, with Ross initially taking his place on the roster.

Ross was excited to begin his professional career with the defending champions, saying, “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really pleased to be joining a proven basketball program and a championship-winning organisation.” Assistant coach Adam Tatalovich, who played a key role in recruiting him, described Ross as another offensive and defensive weapon who fitted Perth’s system.

Perth opened its championship defence against New Zealand at Perth Arena on October 10, where Ross (0 points) went scoreless on debut as Redhage (20 points), Daniels (19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) and Beal (12 points and 5 assists) led the Wildcats. Cedric Jackson (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) was New Zealand’s best as the Breakers established a 49-26 halftime advantage before holding off Perth’s comeback to win 80-70.

Ross (3.3 points across 18 games) provided additional backcourt depth during his rookie season, primarily appearing off the bench behind Beal and Martin. He averaged approximately nine minutes per game, with Gleeson looking for him to provide athleticism, perimeter shooting and defensive energy. His opportunities increased after Hire tore his left calf shortly after the season opener, with Muo subsequently returning to the Wildcats as Hire’s injury replacement.

Ross scored his first NBL points against Sydney at Perth Arena on October 24, finishing with 7 points after making all five of his free-throw attempts. Wagstaff (15 points and 2 rebounds), Beal (16 points) and Martin (2 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 9 steals) led Perth, while Ben Madgen (15 points and 5 rebounds) was Sydney’s leading scorer. Martin’s nine steals were the second-most in a game by a Wildcat behind Ricky Grace’s ten, as Perth defeated the Kings 84-63.

One week later, Ross delivered his best overall and highest-scoring game against Wollongong at the WIN Entertainment Centre on October 31, finishing with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist in 15 minutes off the bench. He made five of his seven field-goal attempts, including his only three-pointer, while Beal (25 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Redhage (14 points and 3 rebounds) led Perth’s scoring. Jahii Carson (14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Oscar Forman (14 points and 4 rebounds) were Wollongong’s leading scorers as the Wildcats claimed an 83-64 victory to improve to 3-1.

Ross produced another strong performance against Sydney at Qantas Credit Union Arena on December 18, recording 10 points and a season-high 8 rebounds as Perth attempted to extend its 16-game winning streak against the Kings. Beal (16 points) and Drake U’u (10 points) provided further scoring, while Josh Childress (17 points and 10 rebounds), Tom Garlepp (15 points) and Madgen (13 points) led Sydney. The Wildcats trailed by 15 points at halftime before Ross and Beal sparked a fourth-quarter comeback, reducing the margin to three points. Childress then delivered a crucial block on Wagstaff before scoring at the other end to secure Sydney’s 78-74 victory, ending a losing streak against Perth that had stretched back to 2010. The game also marked Redhage’s 300th appearance for the Wildcats.

Ross’ rookie season came to an abrupt end against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on January 9, where he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon after spending just 22 seconds on the court during the opening quarter. Ross (0 points) was helped from the floor and ruled out for the remainder of the season, delivering another setback to a Wildcats team already missing Knight with a fractured toe and Hire with a calf injury. Jervis (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Daniels (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Wagstaff (13 points) led Perth, while Torrey Craig (19 points and 5 rebounds), Cameron Tragardh (18 points and 2 steals) and Scottie Wilbekin (15 points) led Cairns. The Taipans outscored Perth 33-16 during the fourth quarter to win 91-76 and move above the Wildcats into second place.

Ross elected to undergo surgery on January 12, ending his first professional season after just 18 appearances. Luke Martin (via the state league) was signed as his injury replacement on January 16, providing additional backcourt depth for the remainder of the campaign. Muo (1.9 points across 15 games) was also deactivated following Hire’s return, while Knight eventually recovered from his broken toe after missing six games.

Despite the injury setbacks, Perth remained in contention for a top-four finish. Beal (16.4 points across 30 games) became the Wildcats’ main offensive weapon following Ennis’s departure, leading the NBL with 69 made three-pointers and winning the Gordon Ellis Medal as Perth’s club MVP. Daniels (14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds across 30 games) provided scoring and rebounding from the forward position and finished second in club MVP voting, while Redhage (11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) remained one of the team’s most experienced offensive contributors.

Knight (10.5 points and 7 rebounds across 24 games) earned All-NBL Second Team honours and received Perth’s Coaches Award, while Wagstaff (8.5 points and 4 rebounds across 30 games) and Jervis (7.1 points and 4.9 rebounds across 30 games) provided important frontcourt depth during the injury disruptions. Martin (6.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 steals across 30 games) continued to anchor the defence, leading the NBL in steals and winning the Best Defensive Player award for the fifth consecutive year, drawing level with Darnell Mee for the most wins in league history at the time. Jervis was also named Perth’s Most Improved Player.

Perth completed the regular season with an 81-71 victory over Townsville, finishing fourth with a 16-12 record and extending the club’s run of consecutive postseason appearances to 29 seasons. However, the Wildcats suffered another major blow when Redhage sustained a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot during the final regular-season game, ruling him out of the entire postseason alongside Ross.

Without Ross or Redhage, Perth opened its semifinal series against minor premier Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on February 27, suffering a 71-64 loss despite Beal scoring 20 points and Martin collecting six steals, while Wilbekin led the Taipans with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Game two moved to Perth Arena on March 1, where Beal (21 points and 4 assists) and Knight (18 points and 10 rebounds) led the Wildcats, but Wilbekin (16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Stephen Weigh (16 points) carried Cairns to an 80-68 victory, completing the semifinal sweep and ending Perth’s championship defence.

On May 14, Perth announced Ross would not return for the 2015/16 season, ending his time with the Wildcats after just one injury-interrupted campaign. Although his original contract contained options for a further two seasons, the club confirmed it would fulfil its financial commitments to him as it began rebuilding its roster following the semifinal defeat.

Earnest Ross played one season in the NBL. He averaged 3.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 18 NBL games.