Iggy Mitchell
March 18, 2022
Jayden Hodgson
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 25/05/97
- Place of Birth: Gosford (NSW)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 190
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Bradley (2017-2019) / Valley State (2020)
- NBL DEBUT: 17/10/15
- AGE AT DEBUT: 18
- LAST NBL GAME: 21/04/22
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Sydney 2016, 2022
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2022)
BIO: Jayden Hodgson was born in Gosford (NSW) Hodgson received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2015. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Jayden Hodgson made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After finishing fifth with a 19-17 record and missing the playoffs, Sydney replaced Adam Forde (to Cairns) with first-year NBL coach Chase Buford. Casper Ware (to Russia), Brad Newley (to Melbourne), Craig Moller (to Germany), Jarrad Weeks (to Tasmania), Didi Louzada (to New Orleans) and Daniel Kickert (retired) departed, while Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin and Dejan Vasiljevic returned. Jaylen Adams (via Milwaukee), RJ Hunter (via Galatasaray), Biwali Bayles (via Hawaii), Next Star Makur Maker (via Howard), Matur Maker (via G League) and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (via Perth) were added, while Jayden Hodgson (development player) and Ignatius Mitchell (development player) completed the roster.
Hodgson returned to Sydney’s development-player ranks after previously spending time with the Kings before playing college basketball at Bradley and Grand Valley State. Kings CEO Chris Pongrass said, “Jayden has been around our group for a number of years now, and played himself into a development spot with us.” Pongrass added, “He is unselfish, determined and out-works guys every day – he proved he is committed to getting to the next level and we are excited for what he brings to our playing squad this season.”
Hodgson’s best game came against Brisbane at Qudos Bank Arena on January 23, where Hodgson (0 points and 1 assist) played 1:23 as Sydney ended a four-game losing streak with a 97-73 win. Vasiljevic (23 points) and Martin (19 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) led the Kings, while Lamar Patterson (16 points and 8 rebounds) was Brisbane’s leading scorer.
Hodgson (5 games) remained at the end of Sydney’s rotation and failed to score across his five appearances. There was no reported injury behind his limited playing time, with his appearances instead reflecting his development-player status. His final appearance came against Cairns on April 21, while he did not play during Sydney’s postseason run.
Early injuries to RJ Hunter (4 points across 3 games), Adams (20.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 steals across 24 games) and Jordan Hunter contributed to Sydney’s slow start before former NBA champion Ian Clark (13.9 points across 16 games) was added during the season. Cooks (15.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks across 31 games), Martin (15.8 points and 8.4 rebounds across 31 games), Vasiljevic (12.4 points across 31 games), Makur Maker (7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds across 21 games) and Angus Glover (5.3 points and 3 rebounds across 30 games) provided the Kings’ other major contributions. Adams was named NBL MVP and selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Cooks earned All-NBL Second Team honours. Sydney recovered from a 5-7 start to win 13 consecutive games through April 14 before Adelaide ended the streak, with the Kings finishing third at 19-9.
Hodgson did not appear during the playoffs as Sydney opened the semifinals at WIN Entertainment Centre with an 89-79 win over Illawarra behind Adams (30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Clark (16 points) and Cooks (11 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks), while Duop Reath (26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Antonius Cleveland (21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led the Hawks. Game two moved to Qudos Bank Arena, where Adams (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists), Martin (23 points and 9 rebounds) and Cooks (16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks) led Sydney back from a 15-point deficit to win 99-87 and complete the sweep, while Tyler Harvey (21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) and Reath (20 points and 3 blocks) led Illawarra.
Expansion Tasmania finished fourth at 17-11 before upsetting first-placed defending champion Melbourne in three games to reach the Grand Final. Sydney opened the series with a 95-78 win at Qudos Bank Arena behind Adams (18 points and 3 assists), Clark (17 points and 2 steals) and Cooks (14 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists), while Jack McVeigh (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and MiKyle McIntosh (14 points and 4 rebounds) led Tasmania, with Adams suffering a low-grade left hamstring strain which ruled him out for the remainder of the series. Game two moved to MyState Bank Arena, where Cooks (20 points and 11 rebounds), Martin (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Vasiljevic (20 points and 5 rebounds) led Sydney, while Josh Adams (36 points) led Tasmania before Vasiljevic hit a late three-pointer to seal a 90-86 win. Game three returned to Qudos Bank Arena, where Cooks (23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks), Martin (22 points and 17 rebounds) and Clark (22 points and 3 assists) led Sydney to a 97-88 win, while Josh Adams (27 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Josh Magette (12 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals) led Tasmania. The victory in front of an NBL Grand Final record crowd of 16,149 ended Sydney’s 17-year championship drought, completed a perfect 5-0 postseason and was the Kings’ 19th win from their final 21 games. At 33, Buford became the fourth-youngest championship-winning coach in NBL history, while Cooks was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 19 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across the three games.
17 years in the making đź’śđź’›#WeTheKings #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/Wz7uIGjTr6
— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 14, 2022
Jayden Hodgson played two seasons the Sydney Kings..
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 25 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 5 | 10.7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 18 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 6 | 26.4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | Totals | 11 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 25 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 5 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | #DIV/0! | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 18 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 6 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | Total | 11 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- BA CoE (2015), Knox (2017), Central Coast (2020), North Sydney (2021), Red City (2022–2023)
Hodgson joined the BA Centre of Excellence for the 2015 SEABL season. The Gosford guard had moved into the Canberra program late in 2014 and remained in the Centre of Excellence setup through 2015, with that season forming his first verified senior state-league stop on his Australian timeline.
Jayden Hodgson joined Knox for the 2017 SEABL season. That Knox Raiders stint sits as his next verified Australian state-league stop after his Centre of Excellence year and before his later returns to NSW and Queensland competitions.
Jayden Hodgson joined Central Coast for the 2020 Waratah League season. He was named on the Central Coast Crusaders roster and produced verified late-season performances that included 13 points and five assists in a win over Hills and 18 points with nine rebounds against Norths.
Jayden Hodgson joined North Sydney for the 2021 Waratah League season. He was on the Norths Bears roster that year and delivered 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 96–73 win over Hornsby on April 10, while local coverage also noted him facing Central Coast in a Bears jersey during the season.
Jayden Hodgson joined Red City for the 2022 NBL1 North season. He had several strong outings during that stint, including 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals in a Round 5 win, a 28-point and 11-rebound double-double against Southern Districts, 18 points and eight rebounds against Brisbane, and 30 points, eight rebounds and two steals against North Gold Coast.
Jayden Hodgson returned to Red City for the 2023 NBL1 North season. He would re-sign with the team for the 2024 NBL1 season also.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Hodgson has represented Australia, winning silver in the FIBA U17 World Championships in Dubai
COLLEGE
Jayden Hodgson played college basketball at Bradley University from 2016–17 through 2018–19, appearing in 86 Division I games for the Braves and later played the 2019–20 season at Grand Valley State University (NCAA Division II) before turning professional.
As a freshman at Bradley in 2016–17, Hodgson appeared in all 33 games with 10 starts, averaging 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.9 minutes per game while shooting 37.3% from the field and 39.0% from three, and he had a season-high 16 points vs. Missouri State including four 3-pointers on January 21.
Hodgson showed progress in his sophomore season in 2017–18, playing in 32 games with 17 starts and averaging 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, while ranking third on the team with 25 made 3-pointers at 39.7% from beyond the arc.
His sophomore year also saw several standout individual outings, including 13 points in the second half vs. Chicago State (Dec. 16), four steals and 11 points vs. Southern Illinois (Jan. 9), and a season-best five assists vs. Northern Iowa (Dec. 31).
As a junior in 2018–19, Hodgson appeared in 21 games with two starts, posting 1.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, and made all 12 of his free throws while scoring a season-best eight points vs. Missouri State (Jan. 12).
During his Bradley tenure, Hodgson earned multiple academic and athletic honors, including selection to the NABC Honors Court (2019), the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2018), and MVC Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018, as well as four placements on the Bradley Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Following his time at Bradley, Hodgson transferred to Grand Valley State University for the 2019–20 season, where he started 26 of 28 games and averaged 7.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 30.9 minutes per game while shooting 39.2% from the field, 37.1% from three, and 88.9% from the free-throw line in NCAA Division II play.
Hodgson’s NCAA career thus spanned both Division I and Division II competition, totaling 86 Division I games at Bradley (4.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game) and 28 Division II games at Grand Valley State.
Prior to his U.S. college career, Hodgson played at Arlington Country Day School in Florida, earned all-conference honour while averaging 15.1 points and six assists per game, and developed his early game after training with the Sydney Kings and representing Australia at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championships, where his team won silver.
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