BIO: Hugo Besson was born in Angers (France) and grew up in the Cote d’Azur town of Badol.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Hugo Besson made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 20 years of age. He scored 10 points in his first game.

Hugo Besson joined the New Zealand Breakers alongside French teammate Ousmane Dieng with the intent to use the NBL as a springboard to the NBA. Besson had originally planned to enter the NBA draft the previous year but was forced to delay his plans due to an ankle injury.

Coming off a season in which the Breakers played 29 of their 36 games in Australia, the team’s struggles only worsened in NBL22. New Zealand was unable to play any home games throughout the season and finished at the bottom of the ladder.

After previously relying on a trio of Corey Webster, Tai Webster, and William McDowell-White at point guard, the Breakers opted to move forward with McDowell-White and shift Corey Webster to a bench role. Eventually, Corey Webster opted to exit his contract to play in Europe. Shortly after, due to the NBL’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements, Tai Webster also chose to leave and pursue opportunities overseas.

To counter the loss of the Webster brothers, the Breakers secured the signatures of Kiwi big man Yanni Wetzell (via South East Melbourne) and import guards Besson, Peyton Siva, and Jeremiah Martin.

The team faced immediate adversity, losing Siva and veteran leader Thomas Abercrombie to injuries while also dealing with a COVID outbreak on the eve of the season. The Breakers signed Chasson Randle (7.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) as a replacement player for Siva, but still opened the season with six consecutive losses.

Siva returned to action a few weeks later, which saw Jeremiah Martin (12.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals) and the Breakers agree to a mutual release. The decision came as a result of strong performances from Randle, who the team opted to retain in the lineup over Martin once Siva was healthy.

Although the Breakers had planned to play their home games in the latter half of the season, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible, forcing the team to base themselves in Tasmania for the majority of the campaign.

Besson handled the challenges of COVID outbreaks, team shutdowns, and life on the road impressively during his rookie season. Through the first five games—all defeats—he was averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 41 percent from the field and an impressive 40 percent from beyond the arc.

One of his standout performances came in a matchup against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, where he scored 26 points, including 14 straight at one point. This game was part of a stretch where he recorded three consecutive 20-point outings before experiencing a decline in production at the end of December. Following a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to the Illawarra Hawks, Besson struggled to maintain consistency in 2022, while his French counterpart Dieng saw his production increase.

On December 9, Besson delivered perhaps his best performance of the season, scoring a career-high 26 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. He and McDowell-White combined for 41 points, including 11 three-pointers, in a thrilling first-half display against Adelaide.

Despite contributions from Yanni Wetzell (17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks) and Finn Delany (10 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 assists), the Breakers fell to 4-10 by mid-February.

By the end of the season, the Breakers had recorded their worst-ever record at 5-23, and Besson’s NBA draft stock slipped from a projected first-round pick to a late second-round prospect.

However, Besson showed noticeable improvement in several areas of his game, particularly his passing. Over the final five games of the season, he averaged over three assists per game, compared to fewer than three across his first 12 NBL outings.

The Breakers were led throughout the season by the strong play of Yanni Wetzell, who departed for Europe once it was clear that the team would not make the playoffs. Despite leaving the team with a month remaining in the season, Wetzell was named the club’s MVP. Besson (13.9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Delany raised their performances in the closing stretch, but the Breakers were unable to climb out of last place.

New Zealand’s 5-23 finish marked the worst season in the club’s 19-year history.

Hugo Besson has trained with 12 team’s, in 21 days and in less than 24 hours the biggest pick of his career could be made! pic.twitter.com/5eVpiMfkE6

— Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) June 23, 2022

Hugo Besson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 25 NBL games.

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Dan Boyce (829 Posts)

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.