Donald Whiteside
July 23, 2020
Jim Havrilla
- Nationality: USA/CRO
- Date of Birth: 22/07/69
- Place of Birth: Valparaiso, Indiana (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 211
- Weight (KG): 120
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Western Michigan (1988-1992)
- NBL DEBUT: 17/04/93
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 3/09/93
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Hobart 1993
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Jim Havrilla was born in Valparaiso, Indiana (USA) and was raised in nearby Portage.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Jim Havrilla made his NBL debut with the Hobart Devils at 23 years of age. He scored 21 points in his first game.
After a challenging season with Cal Bruton serving as both player and coach, the Hobart Devils shifted direction in 1993, opting not to renew Bruton’s contract. Alongside Bruton, the team parted ways with import standout Joe Hurst and veteran Shane Froling, while promising young big man David Stiff departed to play college basketball at Boston College.
Despite these notable exits, the Devils retained a core group featuring prolific scorer Wayne McDaniel, steady forward Andrew Svaldenis, import guard Donald Whiteside, sharpshooter David Close, and rising talent Anthony Stewart. Injuries quickly became a major hurdle, sidelining key players like McDaniel and Close at critical stages, forcing Hobart to bring in Mike Kelly as an injury replacement; Kelly delivered an impressive two-game stint, averaging (19.5 points, 9 rebounds, 2.5 steals).
Throughout the season, forward Jim Havrilla provided consistent support in the frontcourt, emerging as a valuable contributor despite the team’s struggles. On May 14 against North Melbourne, Havrilla delivered one of his best games, scoring 24 points (9-of-15 FG, 6-of-10 FT) and grabbing 7 rebounds in a determined performance. Earlier, on April 17 against Geelong, he posted 21 points (9-of-16 FG, 3-of-4 FT), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, showing his all-around impact. Another standout came on July 9 against Sydney, where Havrilla tallied 24 points (9-of-16 FG, 2-of-3 3PT, 4-of-5 FT) and secured a double-double with 10 rebounds, anchoring the paint on both ends.
Despite flashes of brilliance, including narrow wins over North Melbourne (100–98), big road victories like the 109–97 triumph against Townsville, and a late-season 145–112 blowout over Townsville at home, the Devils’ limited depth and injury troubles left them exposed against top NBL competition. The team closed the season with a disappointing 6–20 record, finishing 13th on the ladder.
Havrilla’s season averages of (9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists) underscored his consistent effort, while McDaniel (20.2 points, 8.9 rebounds), Svaldenis (15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds), Whiteside (15.2 points, 5.6 assists), Close (13.2 points, 2.9 assists), and Stewart (11 points, 3.7 assists) shouldered the bulk of the offensive load. Although the Devils’ 1993 campaign ultimately fell short, Havrilla’s standout games highlighted his importance to Hobart’s rotation and provided crucial interior presence throughout a difficult year.
Jim Havrilla played one season in the NBL. He averaged 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 24 | Hobart | 6-20 (13) | 22 | 532 | 216 | 118 | 32 | 40 | 78 | 11 | 15 | 51 | 76 | 89 | 206 | 43% | 2 | 11 | 18% | 36 | 53 | 68% | 47% | 44% | 24 | Totals | 22 | 532 | 216 | 118 | 32 | 40 | 78 | 11 | 15 | 51 | 76 | 89 | 206 | 43.2% | 2 | 11 | 18.2% | 36 | 53 | 67.9% | 47% | 44% | 24 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 24 | Hobart | 6-20 (13) | 22 | 24.2 | 9.8 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 9.4 | 43% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 18% | 1.6 | 2.4 | 68% | 47% | 44% | 24 | Total | 22 | 24.2 | 9.8 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 9.4 | 43.2% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.2% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 67.9% | 47% | 44% | 24 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 24 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Brotnjo Citluk (2000) | France - Evreux (2000–2001) | Poland - Brok Slupsk (2001) | Greece - Ionikos Lamias (2002–2003) | Germany - TBB Trier (2003–2005)
Havrilla played twelve years professionally, and a Western Michigan bio notes he played overseas from 1994 to 2005 across Portugal, Hungary, China, England, Croatia, Bosnia, Poland, Greece, Germany and France.
In 2000, he played for Bosnian league champions Brotnjo Citluk and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-Import honours, averaging 10.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
During the 2000–01 season, Havrilla had a stint with Evreux in France, appearing in nine games and averaging 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 73.1% from the free-throw line, and he joined an Evreux roster that season which included Fred Campbell, Troy Truvillion and James Blackwell.
In postseason play that year, he averaged 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds across six games, highlighted by a 14-rebound performance against Brest on May 19, 2001, and a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double, with the same season also featuring a documented Pro A–Pro B barrages series between Evreux and Brest that ended 3–0 with game scores of 111–88, 80–70 and 81–77.
In 2001, Havrilla was named a Polish League All-Star with Brok Slupsk and averaged 18.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
In 2002–03, he played for Ionikos Lamias in Greece’s top division, appearing in 24 games and averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 84.0% from the line, and that Ionikos team finished eighth in the Greek league standings at 12–14 before he played two playoff games and averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.
Havrilla’s most productive German stretch came with TBB Trier in the Basketball Bundesliga in 2003–04 and 2004–05, averaging 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 games in 2003–04 before posting 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds across 25 games in 2004–05, and a Western Michigan bio credits him with 1.3 blocks per game in 2003–04 and 1.2 blocks per game in 2004–05 while noting he played alongside key Trier contributors such as scoring leader B.J. McKie (22.4 points per game) and rebounding leader Jarrett Stephens (8.4 rebounds per game) in 2003–04, with his Trier playoff highlight coming in a 23-point, 8-rebound outing against Bonn on May 9, 2004 on 8-of-10 shooting and 7-of-10 at the line while tying his career-best two blocks and recording a personal-best 27 efficiency rating.
COLLEGE
Havrilla played four standout seasons for the Western Michigan Broncos, establishing himself as one of the program’s most productive big men. Over 111 career games, Havrilla averaged (14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), amassing 1,551 points, which ranked him third all-time at WMU at the time of his graduation (now eighth in program history).
A two-time First Team All-MAC selection in 1990 and 1992 (with Honorable Mention honors in 1991), Havrilla consistently ranked among the conference’s elite. He finished top-10 in the MAC in scoring, rebounding, and blocks across multiple seasons. As a sophomore in 1989–90, he averaged (20.8 points, 8.6 rebounds), ranking second in the MAC in both categories, while also finishing second in the league with (541 total points) and leading the conference in free throw attempts (184).
By his senior year in 1991–92, Havrilla topped the MAC in total rebounds (245) and maintained strong averages of (13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds), providing leadership and stability after a challenging junior campaign. Throughout his career, he shot an efficient 47.3% from the field and 73.6% from the free throw line, and his durability and consistency allowed him to log over 3,100 minutes in the brown and gold.
Havrilla’s career achievements include ranking fifth all-time at WMU in free throws made (449), seventh in total field goals (551), eighth in total rebounds (770), eighth in career double-doubles (21), and top-10 in career field goal attempts (1,116). He was a central figure during a period of transition for the Broncos, remembered not just for his on-court production, but also for his leadership and determination to help reshape the team’s identity.
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