NICKNAME/S: Wiley Coyote

BIO: Jacob Wiley was born on September 4, 1994, in Bellevue, Washington, and grew up in the Long Beach, California area before moving to Newport, Washington, to live with his grandparents. His early years were marked by personal challenges, including the passing of both his father and grandmother while he was still in high school. At Newport, Wiley turned his academics around, improving from a 1.6 GPA as a freshman to graduating with a 3.1 GPA in 2012.

Wiley emerged as a three-sport standout at Newport High School, earning letters in football, basketball, and track and field. On the basketball court, he captained the team under coach Jamie Pancho and was named MVP and Most Inspirational Player. As a senior, he averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks per game, finishing his high school career with over 1,000 points and earning All-State honors.

In track and field, Wiley again served as captain and earned the “Golden Spikes Award” for his performances. Across his high school career, he collected four varsity letters in football, three in basketball, and one in track, establishing himself as one of Newport’s most versatile and accomplished athletes.

FAMILY: He and Brittany Hopkins were married on April 8, 2017, and have a daughter named Aliya who was born in Adelaide.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jacob Wiley made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.

After narrowly missing out on the NBL championship the previous season, Adelaide was forced into a rebuild during the 2018 offseason, with several key players departing, most notably Mitch Creek. Creek left to pursue his NBA dream following extended negotiations between Adelaide and Basketball Australia.

Creek had initially been granted approval by the 36ers to play in Germany for the offseason, with the expectation he would return for the 2018/19 season. However, strong performances in Germany attracted the attention of the Brooklyn Nets, who signed him to their G-League team. The 36ers filed an injunction to prevent Basketball Australia from approving Creek’s NBA deal without compensation, but a resolution was eventually reached, allowing Creek to pursue his NBA aspirations.

Other departures included Shannon Shorter (to Japan), Josh Childress (retired), and Matthew Hodgson (to Brisbane). Adelaide responded by signing import Jacob Wiley (via Germany), who was spotted by coach Joey Wright at NBA Summer League as a replacement for Creek. The team also added point guard Adris De León to boost their offense and brought in rising stars Harry Froling and Jack McVeigh straight from college, providing youthful energy to the squad.

Adelaide managed to retain core players Nathan Sobey, Majok Deng, Adam Doyle, Brendan Teys, and import Ramone Moore. Leading scorer Daniel Johnson also returned, taking over as team captain.

Adelaide’s season began with a home loss to Perth (91–99), but they rebounded in their next game, defeating the Sydney Kings (94–83) on the road. Sobey delivered one of the season’s highlights in Round 3, recording a triple-double (22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists) in a win over Cairns (91–83). However, a four-game losing streak followed, starting with a heavy defeat to New Zealand (114–94) and culminating in a narrow loss to Brisbane (93–90) in Round 4.

Key injuries, including a calf issue for Ramone Moore, disrupted Adelaide’s momentum. De León was given a chance to start, delivering 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in a loss to Sydney, but he was released soon after due to inconsistent performances. Former Illawarra import Demitrius Conger was signed as his replacement, and Shaun Bruce, unsigned after three seasons with Cairns, was also brought in to bolster the team.

Adelaide’s inconsistency persisted throughout the season. While they secured back-to-back wins in Round 7 over Cairns (109–95) and Illawarra (120–109), losses to Illawarra and Melbourne in later rounds derailed their playoff push. Despite a brief four-game winning streak in Round 14, which included a crucial victory over Perth (97–84) and a dominant performance against Sydney (119–99), Adelaide’s playoff hopes were dashed by defeats to Melbourne and Brisbane.

Jacob Wiley had a solid season, contributing 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. He had standout performances, including a 30-point, 2-rebound, and 2-steal game against Cairns (97-84) on November 23, 2018, where he shot an impressive 12/17 from the field. Wiley also put up 23 points and 2 rebounds in a win over New Zealand (114-107) on October 28, 2018, and added 21 points and 2 assists in a victory against Sydney on January 19, 2019. Wiley ended the season with a 53.8% field goal percentage.

Alongside Wiley, Daniel Johnson (17.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) and Nathan Sobey (16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) were both named to the All-NBL Second Team. Key contributions also came from Demitrius Conger (11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), Anthony Drmic (9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds), and Harry Froling (7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds), who earned NBL Rookie of the Year honours.

Despite hovering between fourth and fifth place for most of the second half of the season, Adelaide finished with a 14-14 record, tied with Brisbane. However, Brisbane advanced to the playoffs based on points percentage, leaving Adelaide in fifth place and out of the postseason.

After initially re-signing with Adelaide for another season, Wiley opted out of his contract in June 2019 to join Spanish team Gran Canaria, utilising his European out-clause.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2023/24
Following a second underwhelming season under coach CJ Bruton, Adelaide entered NBL24 after finishing eighth with a 13-15 record and missing the postseason for a second straight year. Although imports Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland were contracted for another season, both were allowed to pursue opportunities overseas. Anthony Drmic (to Tasmania), Ian Clark (to Melbourne) and Kai Sotto (to Japan) also departed, while Daniel Johnson was not re-signed after 13 years with the club.

Former Sixers Jason Cadee (via Brisbane) and Isaac Humphries (via Melbourne) returned to provide experience, while Next Star Trentyn Flowers, AFL-to-NBL convert Alex Starling and imports Trey Kell III (via South East Melbourne) and Jamaal Franklin were added. Franklin was released during the NBL Blitz before playing a regular-season game.

Wiley returned to Adelaide after four years playing across Europe, Japan and Puerto Rico, where he won a championship with Vaqueros de Bayamón. He signed a two-year deal with a mutual option on the second season and said the return carried additional meaning after his daughter Layla was born in Adelaide during his first stint with the club.

“Jacob works very hard, and I’m glad he’s super excited to be returning,” 36ers head coach CJ Bruton said upon Wiley’s return.

“I am thrilled to have a guy who can play multiple positions, with his effort to get up and down the floor, he will be able to attack at both ends. He’s a competitor, and I think that will drive us as a group.”

Adelaide opened its season at Nissan Arena on September 29, where Wiley (15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) made an immediate impact, but Brisbane defeated the 36ers 86-71. Humphries (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Dech (13 points and 6 rebounds) provided support, while Nathan Sobey (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Bullets.

Wiley (10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 26 games) started each of his first 21 appearances, shot 52 per cent from the field and led Adelaide in rebounding. After the 36ers began 1-4, DJ Vasiljevic (via Washington) was added to the roster, with Vasiljevic (19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across 23 games) providing another major scoring option.

A severe stomach bug disrupted Wiley’s season after Adelaide’s November trip to Perth, leaving him unable to travel home with the team and without eating properly for four or five days. Wiley returned to full strength against South East Melbourne on November 17, finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds as Adelaide erased a late deficit and defeated the Phoenix 96-93. Vasiljevic (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Flowers (13 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped complete the comeback, while Alan Williams (23 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led South East Melbourne. “Against South East I felt good and I felt like myself again,” Wiley said.

Adelaide fell to 4-9 following a 94-59 loss in Hobart on December 2, where Wiley (14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block), Vasiljevic (15 points and 3 rebounds) and Humphries (9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) led the 36ers, while Milton Doyle (20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) was Tasmania’s best. Adelaide shot 29 per cent from the field and made two of 11 three-pointers while producing its equal-lowest score of the 40-minute era, with Bruton dismissed and assistant Scott Ninnis taking over as interim head coach.

Wiley’s best game came against Brisbane at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 24, where he made nine of 12 field-goal attempts and finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block as the 36ers ended a four-game losing streak with a 95-88 win. Vasiljevic (23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) and Kell III (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) provided support, while Sobey (36 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) carried Brisbane.

The 36ers get a dub for Christmas 🎁

Jacob Wiley was a highlight MACHINE – his double-double earns him the @footlocker Australia Player of the Game 🏆 pic.twitter.com/i7Vmdxql4p

— NBL (@NBL) December 24, 2023

A heel injury suffered during Adelaide’s overtime loss in Cairns on January 13 kept Wiley out of the next two games. He returned from the bench against Cairns on January 27 and remained in that role for his final five appearances, while Ninnis led Adelaide to a 5-1 record during January and brought the team back into Play-In contention.

Kell III (17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 25 games) and Humphries (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 28 games) delivered career-best seasons alongside Vasiljevic and Wiley. Kyrin Galloway (5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds across 27 games), Cadee (5.5 points across 26 games) and Flowers (5.2 points across 18 games) supplied the other regular scoring contributions. Humphries won the Mark Davis Trophy as club MVP, Vasiljevic received the Members’ Choice MVP, Galloway was named Most Improved Player, Dech (4.4 points across 27 games) won Best Defensive Player and Cadee collected the Coaches Award. Adelaide finished second in the NBL for rebounding at 43.5 per game but last in three-point percentage at 29.9 per cent.

The 36ers finished ninth with a 12-16 record, one win and percentage outside the Play-In Tournament, after closing the season with a 76-70 victory over New Zealand at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on February 18. Vasiljevic (25 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Humphries (15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright (24 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal) was New Zealand’s leading scorer, and Wiley (6 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) played 21:34 minutes in the win.

Wiley (to Granada) joined Covirán Granada following Adelaide’s final game before the 36ers confirmed in April that the mutual option on his NBL25 contract would not be taken, with basketball operations manager Matt Weston saying the club needed “different dynamics” at the position. The departure was initially presented as a roster decision, but became controversial in August after Ninnis was dismissed, when Wiley alleged Adelaide had delayed his pay for the first two-and-a-half months of NBL24, failed to take a medical emergency during a flight seriously and prevented him from communicating with former coach Joey Wright. Neither Adelaide nor the NBL had publicly responded when the allegations were reported, with Wiley describing Ninnis’ dismissal as “the last straw for me.”

Jacob Wiley played two seasons the Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 11.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 54 NBL games.