Marcus Thornton
July 23, 2020
Jordan Vandenberg
- Nationality: AUS/HOL
- Date of Birth: 25/03/90
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: CTR
- Height (CM): 216
- Weight (KG): 120
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Waverly
- College: North Carolina State (2009–2014)
- NBL DEBUT: 9/01/16
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 13/02/16
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Sydney 2016
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Jordan Vandenberg was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Waverly basketball program while and attending Box Hill Senior Secondary College.
He played four seasons of college basketball for North Carolina State University and he also holds a Dutch passport because of his father. Vandenberg received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2008. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Jordan Vandenberg made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 25 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.
Since re-entering the league in 2010, Sydney had never finished with a winning record, something they came narrowly close to last season, until a season-ending injury to star Josh Childress derailed things.
The Kings bounced back by loading up on talent to surround Childress and blossoming young stars like Jason Cadee, Tom Garlepp and reigning Rookie of the Year Angus Brandt. Veterans Julian Khazzouh, Steven Markovic and Rhys Carter were brought in, and NBA draftee Marcus Thornton was signed as the team’s second import.
Although Childress would miss the first four games of the season (1-3) with a foot injury, he returned to the court to face Adelaide (Oct 23) at home, only to break his right hand. Childress still managed to score 23 points and played out the Kings’ loss to the 36ers (91–80) before being ruled out for a further four to six games with a boxer’s fracture.
Childress returned in late November, but two games later, he suffered a fractured left hand back and was subsequently ruled out for three weeks. He was reactivated once again on December 29 and played out the rest of the season.
All in all, Childress (21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks) played in only 13 games for the Purple and Gold. Starting centre Khazzouh (13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.8 blocks) delivered great numbers in his return before ripping his right quadriceps tendon off the bone in mid-December, missing a third of the season and Markovic (3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) played a grand total of 3 games for the season due to illness and subsequent recovery. With most of the team’s starting line-up missing, the Kings were so decimated at one stage that assistant coach Ben Knight suited up for four games.
In early January 2016, Vandenberg and Craig Moller were also brought in to help cover the loss of Khazzouh and backup forward Jeromie Hill (4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists).
During the absence of Childress, the Kings brought in former NBA players Damion James (7.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) for 5 games, Al Harrington (17.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) for 6 games with James being a disappointment and Harrington becoming a fan favourite during their brief stints, but both failed to deliver team success and coach Damian Cotter was released mid-season.
Former Washington Wizards assistant Joe Connelly was brought in as a new head coach and helped youngsters Cadee (14.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Garlepp (14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) and Brandt (8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) continue to develop (Brandt earning a gig with the national team at year’s end), it wasn’t enough for the under-manned Kings to avoid finishing dead last (6-22) during the regular season.
Vandenberg managed to appear in eight games during the season, averaging 3.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks.
Jordan Vandenberg played one season in the NBL. He averaged 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 26 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 6 | 47.5 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 4 | 4 | 100% | 58% | 50% | 6 | Totals | 6 | 47 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 50.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 58% | 50% | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 26 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 6 | 7.9 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 50% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.7 | 0.7 | 100% | 58% | 50% | 6 | Total | 6 | 7.9 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 50.0% | 0.1 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 58% | 50% | 6 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- AIS 2008
He also played 17 games for the AIS during the 2008 SEABL season. In those 17 games, he averaged 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Represented Australia at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament whilst playing with the AIS.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Japan - Nishinomiya Storks (2016–2018), Kumamoto Volters (2018) | New Zealand - Southern (2019)
Vandenberg joined the Nishinomiya Storks for the 2016–17 B.League season, starting his first professional stint in Japan and averaging 9.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks across 53 games.
Vandenberg returned to Nishinomiya for the 2017–18 season before joining the Kumamoto Volters in January 2018 on a mid-season move within Japan’s B.League structure.
Vandenberg joined the Southern Huskies for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand with a team based in Tasmania but competing in the NZNBL, and he averaged 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 18 games.
During that 2019 NZNBL season with Southern, he averaged 15.0 minutes per game and shot 54.4% from the field and 77.3% from the free-throw line, while adding 0.7 blocks per game, and he was used alongside teammates Craig Moller, Thomas Bragg, and Greg Jones in the Huskies frontcourt rotation.
COLLEGE
Vandenberg played college basketball at North Carolina State beginning in the 2009-10 season, when the program finished 20-16 under head coach Sidney Lowe.
In that 2009-10 season, Vandenberg appeared in 23 games and made 1 start, totaling 23 points (1.0 points per game) while shooting 9-for-28 from the field (32.1%) and 5-for-9 at the free throw line (55.6%).
Across those 23 games as a freshman, he logged 173 minutes (7.5 per game) and recorded 42 total rebounds (1.8 per game), with 11 offensive rebounds and 31 defensive rebounds, along with 0 assists, 6 turnovers, 18 blocks, 5 steals, and 25 personal fouls.
During that 2009-10 campaign, he earned his first career start at Arizona on Dec. 23 and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, he blocked three shots in seven minutes in a win over New Orleans on Nov. 29, he played 14 minutes at Florida State on Jan. 12 with four rebounds and two blocks, and he missed the UNC Greensboro game on Dec. 31 with an ankle sprain.
Vandenberg returned for the 2010-11 season as NC State went 15-16 under Lowe, and he again played 23 games with 1 start, totaling 36 points (1.6 per game) on 15-for-23 shooting from the floor (65.2%) and 6-for-11 free throws (54.5%).
In 2010-11, he logged 223 minutes (9.7 per game) and produced 40 rebounds (1.7 per game), including 16 offensive rebounds and 24 defensive rebounds, plus 1 assist, 5 turnovers, 10 blocks, 2 steals, and 37 personal fouls.
His season included a career-high eight points against Georgia Tech on Feb. 26, highlighted by four dunks, and that same game recap noted he had scored just four points across NC State’s prior 17 games; he also started the season’s final game against Maryland in the ACC Tournament after being scoreless in the 16 games before his late-season stretch, and he logged a 15-minute bench stint against North Carolina on Jan. 23 as his role expanded when injuries created frontcourt minutes.
In 2011-12, his junior year became a medical-redshirt season after a shoulder injury limited him to seven games, and NC State went 24-13 under first-year head coach Mark Gottfried.
Across those seven appearances in 2011-12, Vandenberg started 1 game and totaled 14 points (2.0 per game) while shooting 7-for-8 from the field (87.5%) and 0-for-1 at the free throw line, adding 19 rebounds (2.7 per game) with 7 offensive rebounds and 12 defensive rebounds in 83 minutes (11.9 per game), alongside 0 assists, 6 turnovers, 4 blocks, 5 steals, and 14 personal fouls.
In that shortened 2011-12 run, he started the season opener against UNC Asheville on Nov. 11, matched his career high with three blocks against Morehead State on Nov. 13, posted a season high of six points with a season-best five rebounds versus Princeton on Nov. 16, and later played 10 minutes against Syracuse on Dec. 17 before his season ended.
Vandenberg was back in 2012-13 as a redshirt junior, when NC State finished 24-11 under Gottfried, and he played 23 games with 1 start, totaling 17 points (0.7 per game) on 8-for-16 shooting (50.0%) with 1-for-4 free throws (25.0%).
In 2012-13, he logged 124 minutes (5.4 per game) and collected 16 rebounds (0.7 per game), with 6 offensive rebounds and 10 defensive rebounds, plus 1 assist, 6 turnovers, 9 blocks, 4 steals, and 25 personal fouls.
His 2012-13 season details included 12 minutes against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22, a season-high six points in 14 minutes at Wake Forest on Jan. 22, his lone start coming against No. 14 Miami on Feb. 2, and a one-point, two-offensive-rebound night at Florida State on March 9.
As a 2013-14 redshirt senior, Vandenberg became a full-time starter for NC State’s 22-14 team under Gottfried, starting all 32 games he played while averaging 22.1 minutes per game (707 total minutes).
In 2013-14, he totaled 148 points (4.6 per game) while shooting 68-for-100 from the field (68.0%) and 12-for-23 at the free throw line (52.2%), and he added 149 rebounds (4.7 per game) with 56 offensive rebounds and 93 defensive rebounds, plus 31 assists, 19 turnovers, 45 blocks, 9 steals, and 103 personal fouls.
That 2013-14 season opened with him missing the first four games after a high ankle sprain suffered in the first half of an Oct. 30 exhibition against UNC Pembroke, before he debuted versus Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 26 with seven points and 10 rebounds.
He followed with 14 points and six dunks against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 30, recorded a career-high five blocks against Northwestern on Dec. 4, and set a new career scoring high with 18 points and seven dunks against East Carolina on Dec. 21.
In ACC play and postseason action in 2013-14, he had 10 points and seven rebounds at Wake Forest on Jan. 15, scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the ACC Tournament against Syracuse on March 14, and posted nine points with four blocks in the NCAA Tournament First Round win over Xavier on March 18, finishing the year as NC State’s team blocks leader and eighth in the ACC in blocks at 1.41 per game.
Across his NC State career from 2009-10 through 2013-14 (with the 2011-12 medical-redshirt season still counting as an appearance year), Vandenberg played 108 games with 36 starts, totaling 238 points, 266 rebounds, and 86 blocks while finishing with a career-best usage as a senior when he started 32 straight games and led the team in shot-blocking.
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