CJ Bruton
February 2, 2021
George Banks
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 9/10/72
- Place of Birth: Rillito, Arizona (USA)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 203
- Weight (KG): 103
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Central Arizona (1991-1993) / UTEP (1993-1995) /
- NBL DEBUT: 27/06/97
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 23/03/02
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 29
- NBL History: Perth 1997 | Canberra 2002
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: George Banks was born in Rillito, Arizona (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
George Banks made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 24 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.
In 1997, Banks averaged 10.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists as the Wildcats finished in fourth place (17-13).
CANBERRA CANNONS
2001/02
After a season playing in Europe, CJ Bruton signed a deal with play with Canberra, aiming to help his father and head coach Calvin turn the team around after a woeful season where the Cannons managed only three wins for the season. Coach Bruton also added players George Banks (via Perth), Brendan Mann (via Brisbane) and rookie big man Cameron Rigby to the roster.
Banks (23.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) would lead the team in scoring while Bruton (19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) led the team in assists. Canberra finished the season with 12 wins and 18 losses and failed to reach the playoffs.
George Banks played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Perth Wildcats and the Canberra Cannons. He averaged 20.2 points, 8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 29 | Canberra | 12-18 (10) | 24 | 941.0 | 555 | 202 | 23 | 93 | 109 | 55 | 38 | 48 | 70 | 216 | 499 | 43% | 42 | 116 | 36% | 81 | 136 | 60% | 49% | 47% | 44 |
| 1997 | 25 | Perth | 17-13 (4) | 7 | 167.0 | 72 | 49 | 4 | 21 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 14 | 28 | 60 | 47% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 16 | 27 | 59% | 49% | 47% | 17 | Totals | 31 | 1108 | 627 | 251 | 27 | 114 | 137 | 61 | 42 | 69 | 84 | 244 | 559 | 43.6% | 42 | 116 | 36.2% | 97 | 163 | 59.5% | 50% | 47% | 44 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 29 | Canberra | 12-18 (10) | 24 | 39.2 | 23.1 | 8.4 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 9.0 | 20.8 | 43% | 1.8 | 4.8 | 36% | 3.4 | 5.7 | 60% | 49% | 47% | 44 |
| 1997 | 25 | Perth | 17-13 (4) | 7 | 23.9 | 10.3 | 7.0 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 8.6 | 47% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 2.3 | 3.9 | 59% | 49% | 47% | 17 | Total | 31 | 35.7 | 20.2 | 8.1 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 18.0 | 43.6% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.2% | 1.4 | 3.7 | 59.5% | 50% | 47% | 44 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 44 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
George Banks was drafted by the Miami Heat with pick #46 in the 1995 NBA Draft.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Israel - Ironi Ramat Gan (1998–1999) | Italy - Dinamo Basket Sassari (1996–1998, 1999–2000) | Cyprus - Elma APOEL (2002–2003), Keravnos (2003–2004, 2005–2006) | Philippines - Shell Turbo Chargers (2002) | Turkey - Banvit B.K. (2004–2005) | Venezuela - Cocodrilos de Caracas (1998) | Hungary - Albacomp (2006–2007, 2009–2010), Lami-Véd Körmend (2008–2009)
Banks played the majority of his overseas career in Italy with Dinamo Sassari, a stretch later recognised when the club listed him in its Hall of Fame with stints across 1996–1998 and 1999–2000, and he also had stops in Venezuela with Cocodrilos de Caracas (1998) and in Israel with Ironi Ramat Gan (1998–1999).
In the Philippines in 2002, Banks joined the Shell Turbo Chargers as an import and was reported to have debuted with 27 points and 14 rebounds in a Shell win while playing alongside fellow import Johnny Jackson.
Banks moved to Cyprus for the 2002–2003 season with Elma APOEL before joining Keravnos for 2003–2004, where he played alongside Isaac Burton, and Keravnos finished first in the regular-season table at 15–1 before reaching the league championship series and losing to AEL, with the title officially recorded as a 3–1 win for AEL.
In FIBA competition, Banks averaged 24.1 points and 9.3 rebounds across eight games for Keravnos Keo in the 2004 FIBA Europe Cup Men, then moved to Turkey with Banvit for 2004–2005 where he logged 24 Turkish-league games at 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and also averaged 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds over 12 games in the 2005 FIBA Europe Cup Men.
Banks returned to Keravnos for 2005–2006 and averaged 19.0 points and 6.5 rebounds across six EuroCup Challenge games, and a Cyprus Cup report from that season credited him as the game’s MVP in Keravnos’ cup final win over AEL.
His later international résumé included a run in Hungary with Albacomp in 2006–2007 where federation statistics list him at 23.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game across 12 league games, a 2008–2009 season with Körmend where he averaged 22.3 points and 7.1 rebounds over 26 league games and added a two-game EuroChallenge stint at 20.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and a return to Albacomp in 2009–2010 for 15 league games at 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
COLLEGE
George Banks attended Central Arizona College from 1991–1993 before moving to UTEP for the 1993–94 and 1994–95 NCAA seasons.
At Central Arizona, Banks emerged as one of the top junior college players in the country, earning NJCAA All-American recognition in 1992–93 (Division I First Team), a season that helped put him on the radar for Division I recruitment and a subsequent move into the Western Athletic Conference at UTEP.
Banks suited up for UTEP during the 1993–94 season, when the Miners finished 18–12 overall and 8–10 in WAC play under head coach Don Haskins, scoring 72.1 points per game while allowing 70.8 points per game.
In that 1993–94 season, Banks played 30 games with 25 starts, averaging 8.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 58.8% from the foul line, and he added 0.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game as a regular in the frontcourt rotation.
Banks took a major step forward as a senior in 1994–95, helping UTEP post a 20–10 overall record and a 13–5 WAC finish (3rd place) under Haskins, with the Miners averaging 77.9 points per game and allowing 71.7 per game while playing to an 8.96 SRS and 5.85 SOS profile.
Across 29 games (all starts) in 1994–95, Banks produced 15.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 30.8 minutes while shooting 56.6% from the field and 74.0% at the line, along with 0.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game, and his season included 11 double-doubles, the most by a Miner since that year’s standard was later referenced in the program record book.
Banks’ 1994–95 honours included All-WAC recognition, and his defensive production placed him among UTEP’s notable shot-blockers, with 57 blocks in 1993–94 and 65 blocks in 1994–95 for 122 career blocks over his two seasons, which ranks fifth on UTEP’s career blocks list.
In UTEP’s 69–64 home win over Hawai‘i on February 26, 1995, Banks posted 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 5-for-9 at the line while collecting 9 rebounds, with 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block, and 1 steal in 33 minutes.
During the 1995 WAC Tournament quarterfinal against Hawai‘i on March 9, 1995, Banks recorded 14 points on 3-for-6 shooting and 8-for-9 free throws while grabbing 15 rebounds and adding 3 blocks and 1 steal in 37 minutes as UTEP fell 66–65.
After that one-point WAC Tournament loss, UTEP’s season continued into the NIT, where the Miners beat Montana 90–60 before losing 92–89 to New Mexico State, closing a senior year in which Banks led a high-scoring core and finished his UTEP career with Division I averages of 11.7 points and 8.4 rebounds across 59 games on 53.6% shooting.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL Third Team
Related
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