BIO: Lachlan Olbrich was born in Adelaide (SA) and attended Reynella East College. He began playing basketball as a junior with the Southern basketball program and represented SA Metro in both 2020 and 2021 National Championships. He was also a part of South Australia’s state squad at the 2021 U20’s National Championships. There he led the team to a bronze medal, led the event in steals per game (2.4) and was third in overall rebounds (8.8 per game).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Lachlan Olbrich made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Adelaide made several key additions for the season, including Mitch McCarron, Kai Sotto, and imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers. The team also replaced coach Connor Henry with CJ Bruton just weeks before the season began. Bruton added Hyrum Harris and Cam Bairstow, with the latter looking to revive his career after injury-plagued seasons.

Mitch McCarron was named team captain, and Adelaide started the season with a mixed performance, securing early wins against Tasmania and New Zealand after losing to Perth and Illawarra. However, the team’s fortunes quickly declined when Isaac Humphries was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury after just six games. Cam Bairstow stepped up in Humphries’ absence but also suffered an injury later in the season.

Adelaide struggled to find consistency, and with disappointing seasons from imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers, they were out of playoff contention early, finishing the season in seventh place with a 10-18 record. Daniel Johnson led the team in scoring, while Sunday Dech and Hyrum Harris showed improvement.

As a development player, Lachlan Olbrich saw limited action, appearing in only three games without scoring.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2023/24
Following the worst season in club history, Illawarra entered Jacob Jackomas’ second year as head coach after Tim Coenraad and Kevin White retired, while Akoldah Gak (to Cairns), Mangok Mathiang (to New Zealand), Alex Mudronja (to Cairns), Michael Frazier II, Peyton Siva, Lachie Dent and Deng Deng exited. Captain Sam Froling, Tyler Harvey, Justin Robinson, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William Hickey, Daniel Grida and Harry Morris returned, while Jackomas added Mason Peatling (via Melbourne), Biwali Bayles (via Sydney), Todd Blanchfield (via Perth), Hyunjung Lee (via Santa Cruz), AJ Johnson (via Southern California Academy), Gary Clark (via Mexico City) and Luca Yates (via NCAA).

Illawarra opened the season against Sydney at the WIN Entertainment Centre on September 30, where Olbrich (8 rebounds and 1 assist) played 17:53 off the bench in his first game for the Hawks, but the Kings won 96-81. Harvey (19 points and 3 steals) and Grida (14 points and 7 rebounds) led Illawarra, while Kouat Noi (23 points and 4 rebounds) was Sydney’s leading scorer.

Olbrich (3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds across 31 games) joined Illawarra on a three-year deal after one season at UC Riverside, where a 19-point and 10-rebound performance against the Hawks during their previous preseason placed him firmly on the club’s radar. Hawks GM of Basketball Mat Campbell said, “He has great size and length, and we love his aggressiveness. We were looking to add some front-court depth to the roster.” Before the NBL season began, Olbrich helped West Adelaide win the 2023 NBL1 Central championship and was named Grand Final MVP after producing 24 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 block in the 106-95 win over Forestville.

His first major performance came against South East Melbourne on October 7, where Olbrich (11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) made 5-of-6 from the field in 16:02 as Illawarra defeated the Phoenix 113-106 and collected its first win of the season. Robinson (26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Harvey (20 points) led the Hawks, while Will Cummings (28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals) was South East Melbourne’s best.

Illawarra held a 2-7 record when the club parted ways with Jackomas in November and promoted assistant Justin Tatum as interim head coach, with the Hawks winning four of their next six games. Grida (5.2 points across 10 games) was sidelined by a knee injury, Hickey (5.2 points across 25 games) earned a larger role and Kyle Adnam (1 point across 3 games) joined as an injury replacement.

Olbrich’s best game of the season came against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on Christmas night, where Olbrich (9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) delivered his most complete performance as Illawarra defeated the Kings 94-90. Froling (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Harvey (15 points and 4 rebounds) led the Hawks, while Jaylen Adams (22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) was Sydney’s best.

Olbrich matched his season-high scoring total against South East Melbourne at the WIN Entertainment Centre on January 5, finishing with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 15:08 as Illawarra recorded its biggest win of the season, defeating the Phoenix 116-78. Froling (20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) and Robinson (19 points and 3 rebounds) led the Hawks, while Mitch Creek (24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) was South East Melbourne’s leading scorer.

The Hawks closed the regular season at John Cain Arena on February 18, where Olbrich (5 points and 1 block) played 8:34 as Melbourne won 92-87. Robinson (14 points and 5 assists) and Harvey (13 points) led Illawarra, while Chris Goulding (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) was Melbourne’s leading scorer before the Hawks finished fourth with a 14-14 record.

Clark (17 points and 7.8 rebounds across 33 games) led Illawarra in scoring, won the club MVP and Members’ Choice awards and was selected to the All-NBL First Team. Froling (15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds across 33 games) won the NBL Next Generation Award, while Harvey (15.1 points across 33 games), Robinson (12 points and 4.4 assists across 33 games), Lee (7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds across 32 games) and Swaka Lo Buluk (6 points across 32 games) were the other main contributors. Swaka Lo Buluk was also named the Hawks’ Defensive Player of the Year, while Grida received the Players’ Player and Community awards as Illawarra increased its scoring from 80.8 to 91.6 points per game.

Illawarra opened the postseason against Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena, where Olbrich (2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 11:23 off the bench. Clark (21 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block), Harvey (15 points) and Froling (10 points and 5 rebounds) led the Hawks, while Jack McVeigh (26 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals), Will Magnay (25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks) and Jordon Crawford (20 points) carried Tasmania to a 92-76 victory.

The Hawks returned to the WIN Entertainment Centre for an elimination game against New Zealand, where Olbrich (0 points in 2:28) appeared briefly as Robinson (26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) and Froling (21 points and 9 rebounds) led Illawarra to an 88-85 win. Parker Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals) and Zylan Cheatham (14 points and 9 rebounds) were New Zealand’s best before the Hawks advanced to the semifinals.

The semifinal series opened at John Cain Arena, where Froling (26 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block), Clark (22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Harvey (15 points) helped Illawarra build a 16-point fourth-quarter lead. Matthew Dellavedova (30 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals), Luke Travers (24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) and Goulding (18 points) led Melbourne’s comeback before United won game one 115-106 in overtime, while Olbrich did not take the court.

Game two moved to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Olbrich (4 points and 1 rebound) played 4:13 as Clark (31 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists), Harvey (23 points), Froling (19 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Hickey (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led Illawarra to a 113-108 overtime victory. Dellavedova (20 points and 8 assists), Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (18 points and 7 rebounds) and Ian Clark (17 points) led Melbourne before the Hawks forced a deciding game.

Game three returned to John Cain Arena, where Froling (23 points and 4 rebounds), Robinson (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Clark (14 points and 6 rebounds) led Illawarra, while Shea Ili (22 points), Travers (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Goulding (14 points) carried Melbourne to a 100-94 victory and ended the Hawks’ season one game short of the Grand Final. Olbrich did not take the court in the loss.

2024/25
After finishing fourth with a 14-14 record and pushing Melbourne to a deciding semifinal the previous season, Illawarra entered Justin Tatum’s first full campaign without Gary Clark (to Yokohama), Justin Robinson (to Trapani), AJ Johnson (to Milwaukee), Kyle Adnam (to Cairns) and Biwali Bayles (to Nyon). Lachlan Olbrich returned alongside Tyler Harvey, Sam Froling, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William Hickey, Hyunjung Lee, Mason Peatling, Todd Blanchfield and Daniel Grida, while Tatum added Trey Kell III (via Adelaide), Darius Days (via Rio Grande Valley), Zac Triplett (via Melbourne) and Brad Ballinger (via Illawarra NBL1).

Olbrich returned for the second season of the three-year deal he signed with Illawarra in 2023 after spending the offseason with Canterbury, where he led the Rams to the 2024 New Zealand NBL championship and won league MVP, Youth Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Forward, All-Star Five and Grand Final MVP honours.

At the NBL Blitz, Olbrich (17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) helped Illawarra defeat South East Melbourne 112-93 before scoring 29 points in a 106-100 loss to Melbourne, placing his name on the radar of the NBA scouts in attendance.

Illawarra opened the regular season at HoopsFest on September 21 with a 102-75 win over Cairns, where Olbrich (12 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists) produced his best all-round game of the regular season during 20 minutes off the bench, with Days (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Froling (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) leading the Hawks while Tanner Groves (19 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block) was Cairns’ best.

Olbrich (8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds across 29 games) appeared in every regular-season game, shot 60 percent from the field and became a reliable frontcourt option behind Froling as his role and production increased during his second season with Illawarra.

His best scoring game came against New Zealand on November 28, where Olbrich (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) shot 8-of-9 from the field in only 13 minutes as Illawarra defeated the Breakers 109-71. Kell (17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Harvey (15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) provided support, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) led New Zealand.

Olbrich (18 points) provided another major lift from the bench against Melbourne on January 18, making eight of his nine field-goal attempts in less than 17 minutes as Illawarra defeated United 117-95 and strengthened its position on top of the ladder. Kell (23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and Harvey (20 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal) led the Hawks, while Shea Ili (20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) was Melbourne’s best.

Kobe McDowell-White (via Sunshine Coast) joined Illawarra as a development player in October, while Kuany Kuany (via VCU) was added as a nominated replacement player in November.

Harvey (17.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals) and Kell (17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists) led Illawarra’s offence, while Froling (14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds), Days (11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds), Hickey (8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists), Swaka Lo Buluk (7.8 points) and Lee (7.7 points and 3.4 rebounds) formed one of the league’s deepest rotations.

Olbrich was nominated for the NBL’s Next Generation Award and made his senior Boomers debut during the November FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window. Tatum received the Lindsay Gaze Trophy as NBL Coach of the Year, Harvey and Kell earned All-NBL First Team selections and Froling was named to the All-NBL Second Team. Harvey, Kell and Froling shared Illawarra’s club MVP award, while Harvey received the Members Choice Award, Hickey was named Most Improved Player, Peatling won the Players’ Player Award and Swaka Lo Buluk received Defensive Player of the Year honours.

Illawarra completed the regular season with a 95-75 win over Sydney on February 7, where Olbrich (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) helped the Hawks finish first with a 20-9 record and secure the first regular-season championship in club history. Lee (15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Harvey (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) provided support, while Jaylen Adams (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Kings.

Illawarra opened the semifinals at the WIN Entertainment Centre with a 101-94 win over South East Melbourne, taking control with a 32-12 third quarter as Olbrich (7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists) contributed alongside Kell (24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists), Harvey (24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Blanchfield (16 points and 6 rebounds), while Joe Wieskamp (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks), Nathan Sobey (17 points and 9 rebounds) and Derrick Walton Jr (15 points, 3 rebounds, and 11 assists) led the Phoenix.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Olbrich (6 points and 3 rebounds), Hickey (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists), Froling (11 points and 5 rebounds) and Harvey (10 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal) led Illawarra, but South East Melbourne levelled the series with a 101-94 win behind Matt Hurt (30 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks), Sobey (25 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Angus Glover (16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal).

The deciding game returned to Wollongong, where Olbrich (10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided another strong contribution as Kell (30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal), Blanchfield (28 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Harvey (12 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) powered Illawarra to a 126-96 win and its first Grand Final appearance since 2017, while Wieskamp (25 points and 5 rebounds), Sobey (19 points and 6 rebounds) and Owen Foxwell (13 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led the Phoenix.

The Grand Final series opened in Wollongong, where Olbrich (4 points and 1 rebound), Froling (16 points and 7 rebounds), Hickey (14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) and Blanchfield (13 points and 3 rebounds) led Illawarra, but Matthew Dellavedova (18 points and 7 rebounds), Chris Goulding (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Marcus Lee (14 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) carried Melbourne to a 96-88 win.

Game two moved to John Cain Arena, where Olbrich (7 points and 1 assist) contributed as Harvey (24 points), Froling (23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Kell (18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) led Illawarra to a 102-100 win. Harvey made a three-pointer with six seconds remaining to level the series, while Ian Clark (31 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), Goulding (17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Dellavedova (14 points, 5 assists, and 1 block) led Melbourne.

Melbourne regained control in game three with an 83-77 road win behind Jack White (20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block), Clark (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Dellavedova (16 points, 11 assists, and 1 steal), while Hickey (12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), Days (11 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal), Kell (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Olbrich (2 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists) led Illawarra. Kell suffered a knee injury late in the game and was ruled out of game four.

Facing elimination at John Cain Arena, Olbrich (13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) stepped into a larger frontcourt role after Froling (5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) ruptured his Achilles during the second quarter. Hickey (22 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals), Harvey (12 points and 4 rebounds) and Days (9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) helped Illawarra defeat Melbourne 80-71 and force a deciding game, while Dellavedova (17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal), Goulding (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Clark (16 points and 2 steals) led United.

Game five returned to Wollongong, where Olbrich (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) again filled the position left by Froling as Illawarra defeated Melbourne 114-104. Kell (26 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists), Hickey (21 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists), Harvey (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block) and Swaka Lo Buluk (16 points and 1 steal) led the Hawks, while Goulding (21 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks), Ili (20 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) and White (17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) were Melbourne’s best. Dellavedova (5 points and 7 assists) was awarded the Larry Sengstock Trophy before handing it to Hickey, while the victory delivered Illawarra its second championship, first since 2001, and Olbrich his first NBL title.

After the championship, Olbrich declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and totalled 31 points and 17 rebounds across two G League Elite Camp scrimmages, earning a late invitation to the NBA Draft Combine. The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the 55th pick before trading his draft rights to Chicago, where Olbrich signed a two-way contract with the Bulls and their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

Lachlan Olbrich played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Adelaide 36ers and the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1 assists in 63 NBL games.