Clint Steindl
July 23, 2020
Mitchell Young
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 6/08/90
- Place of Birth: Coffs Harbour (NSW)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 206
- Weight (KG): 107
- Junior Assoc: QLD - Logan
- College: Saint Mary's (2009–2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/10/13
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 16/02/19
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Cairns 2014-15, 2019 | Townsville 2016 | Brisbane 2017-18
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Mitchell Young was born in Coffs Harbour (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Logan basketball program. Young received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2007. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2007, 2008, 2009).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Mitchell Young made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 23 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.
In 2013/14, Young averaged 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists as the Taipans finished in fifth place (12-16).
2014/15
In 2015, Cairns become the first regional team to finish the season in first place (21-7) since Geelong achieved the feat in 1984. Cairns also achieved a NBL first when Aaron Fearne utilised the same starting five of Scottie Wilbekin, Cameron Gliddon, Stephen Weigh, captain Alex Loughton and Matt Burston for all 28 games.
The roster did see some change during the season however, with training player Nathan Sobey (1.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.1 assists) being elevated into the squad mid-season after injuries to Corey Maynard (1.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) and Shaun Bruce (3.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists).
in the semifinals, they faced off against 4th seeded Perth and behind the all-around brilliance of Wilbekin (28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists), who was unstoppable in their game one win (71-64). Wilbekin (16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists)then led Cairns to victory in game two (80-68), progressing to the Grand Final series.
Cairns would face the New Zealand Breakers and, despite having home-court advantage, lost the opening game 86–71. A buzzer-beating fade away from Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe resulted in a game two loss (83–81) and the Taipans missing out on winning their first NBL championship.
Wilbekin (15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists) would lead the team in scoring and assists, as well as take home the club’s MVP award as Young finished the season with 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.
TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2015/16
Front office changes and financial limitations saw the Crocodiles struggling to gain clarity on their future in the competition, resulting in player recruitment becoming extremely challenging for Townsville. The first impact of this saw Todd Blanchfield, who earned the NBL Most Improved Player the season prior, relocate to Melbourne and sign with the re-branded Melbourne United. Coach Shawn Dennis would sign Nicholas Kay, who was returning home after four years at Metro State College of Denver and then rounded out the rest of the roster by signing players happy to play for near league minimum contracts, mostly young talent unable to latch on with other team’s or veteran players other team’s had given up on. Luke Schenscher (via Adelaide), Corey Maynard and Mitchell Young (both via Cairns) were clear examples of that.
NBL MVP Brian Conklin was re-signed and appointed team captain and paired with incoming import Jordair Jett.
The season began with two consecutive losses to Melbourne United (84-99) at home and New Zealand (81-89) in New Zealand. But then, in surprising fashion, Townsville, who had won a total of three away games the previous season, defeated Sydney (80-77) and Perth (66-63) on their home floor in back-to-back rounds.
Townsville’s season quickly turned sour after that, highlighted by their 31-point defeat at the hands of Melbourne in late October and having the worst record in the league (2-9) after the first few months of the season. Then, when the team faced the Perth Wildcats at home, Conklin was involved in a ugly on-court incident involving Perth Wildcats guard Damian Martin Martin. During the fourth quarter of the Crocodiles win over the Wildcat’s (89–77), Conklin’s errant elbow collided with and broke Martin’s jaw. Despite a call from Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze for Conklin to be suspended for at least six weeks, the NBL cleared Conklin of any wrongdoing. A similar situation arose during a brutal loss to Adelaide (65-89) less than two weeks after the Martin encounter, where Conklin (21 points and 12 rebounds) was in the spotlight again for another elbow incident, this time for striking 36ers forward Mitch Creek in a similar manner. He subsequently received a three-match suspension, with two of those games suspended for the rest of the season.
By the end of November, sitting at the bottom of the ladder (4–10), Townsville terminated Conklin’s contract due to what the club claimed was a number of ‘sub-par performances’. Conklin (13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game) later took to social media to share his version of the truth, which pointed the finger at Townsville wanting to reduce costs as the reason for his release. The Crocs would bring in a former college teammate of Patty Mills, Omar Samhan (13 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks), as Conklin’s replacement a week later.
Schenscher (4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds) also struggled with injuries and with nine games remaining, Townsville chose to add Harry Froling (1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds), a member of Townsville’s junior program, as an injury replacement player for him.
While Jett (15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals) struggled in the team’s early games, he would explode during the second half of the season, leading the team in scoring with Mirko Djeric (5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) delivering his best season to date. With Townsville now firmly focused as a team, their work was rewarded in the second half of the season, winning half of their remaining games (7-7). This included a upset victory over Adelaide will go down in Townsville history as perhaps the most exciting finish to a game. The win showcased the fighting qualities instilled in the Crocs and even in the most unlikely circumstances, a team must play to the final buzzer.
Despite again finishing with a winning record at home (8-6) but only three road wins for the season, Townsville would finish second last on the ladder (11-17) with Jett being awarded the Kevin Sugars Medal (club MVP). Young would play in 27 games, and average 4.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists.
Despite the hardships Townsville was viewed as overachievers for the most part and coach Shawn Dennis was rewarded by the league with the NBL’s coach of the year trophy. The Croc’s cleaned up on awards night with Nicholas Kay (10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) also winning Rookie of the Year and Clint Steindl (12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) earning Most Improved Player.
Although Townsville had a verbal commitment from the league they would be able to continue playing with their support, the inability to raise enough money from the community saw their eventual demise. Kay and Norton both signed deals with Illawarra and while Young found a spot with Brisbane. Unable to find deals in Australia, Steindl and Djeric both ventured overseas, Luke Schenscher retired and coach Shawn Dennis would end up coaching in the Japanese national league.
BRISBANE BULLETS
2016/17
During the 2016/17 season Young averaged 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists and helped the Bullets finish the regular season in eighth place (10-18).
2017/18
During the 2017/18 season, Young averaged 4.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists and was a part of the Bullets squad which finished in eighth place (9-19).
2018/19
In 2018, Cairns chose to go in a new direction, parting ways with long-time coach Aaron Fearne after eight years of him patrolling the sidelines. Mike Kelly was brought in as his replacement and was tasked with rebuilding a roster that had already lost key players Cameron Gliddon (to Brisbane), Mitchell McCarron (to Melbourne), Jarrad Weeks (to New Zealand), and Stephen Weigh (retired).
With only a short time before the season kicked off, Kelly bolstered the roster by adding free agent Rob Loe (via New Zealand) and a new import trio consisting of Melo Trimble, Devon Hall, and DJ Newbill, while Nathan Jawai, Alex Loughton, and Jarrod Kenny were retained for their experience and leadership.
Cairns started the season with a dominant victory over Brisbane (88-70) in their opening game, but consistency soon became an issue. The team endured a six-game losing streak between 21 October and 9 November 2018. Despite these struggles, the Taipans managed some impressive wins later in the season, including a surprise victory over Perth (81-79) and a dominant win over Brisbane (109-80), but an inability to consistently win at home (3-11) or away (3-11) saw them finish the season dead last.
While wins were few and far between, Melo Trimble (21.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals) and DJ Newbill (14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals) formed a powerful one-two punch this season. Trimble earned a spot on the All-NBL Second Team and was named the Taipans’ club MVP at the end of the season.
Alongside them, a healthy Nathan Jawai (10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), who saw his minutes and production nearly double compared to the previous season, and Devon Hall (8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists) were also key contributors.
Mitchell Young (2.0 points, 1.8 rebounds) played limited minutes off the bench but provided a solid presence in the paint when called upon. He contributed defensively and on the boards, offering his hustle and physicality during key moments in games.
Young’s best game of the season came against the Adelaide 36ers (21 Oct 2018), where he recorded 7 points and 6 rebounds, showing his impact when given minutes. He followed this up with a 6-point, 3-rebound, 2-steal performance against Adelaide on 23 Nov 2018 and a 5-point, 2-rebound game against Brisbane (3 Jan 2019).
The lack of pre-season preparation and large roster turnover prevented the Taipans from building momentum, leading to one of the worst records in franchise history (6-22).
Mitchell Young played six seasons in the NBL. He averaged 4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 163 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 28 | Cairns | 6-22 (8) | 23 | 178.1 | 45 | 42 | 5 | 17 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 27 | 18 | 39 | 46% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 9 | 14 | 64% | 49% | 46% | 7 |
| 2017-18 | 27 | Brisbane | 9-19 (8) | 25 | 238.6 | 113 | 60 | 7 | 24 | 36 | 11 | 5 | 13 | 32 | 42 | 82 | 51% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 29 | 41 | 71% | 56% | 51% | 13 |
| 2016-17 | 26 | Brisbane | 10-18 (8) | 28 | 369.2 | 153 | 79 | 7 | 40 | 39 | 13 | 6 | 27 | 69 | 62 | 108 | 57% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 29 | 41 | 71% | 60% | 57% | 16 |
| 2015-16 | 25 | Townsville | 11-17 (7) | 27 | 458.2 | 129 | 108 | 13 | 44 | 64 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 71 | 46 | 106 | 43% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 37 | 71 | 52% | 46% | 43% | 10 |
| 2014-15 | 24 | Cairns | 21-7 (1) | 32 | 357.0 | 87 | 68 | 12 | 32 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 51 | 32 | 81 | 40% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 23 | 40 | 58% | 44% | 40% | |
| 2013-14 | 23 | Cairns | 12-16 (5) | 28 | 466.0 | 125 | 87 | 20 | 39 | 48 | 7 | 12 | 26 | 71 | 50 | 121 | 41% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 25 | 40 | 63% | 45% | 41% | Totals | 163 | 2067 | 652 | 444 | 64 | 196 | 248 | 42 | 43 | 119 | 321 | 250 | 537 | 46.6% | 0 | 10 | 0.0% | 152 | 247 | 61.5% | 50% | 47% | 16 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 28 | Cairns | 6-22 (8) | 23 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 46% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.4 | 0.6 | 64% | 49% | 46% | 7 |
| 2017-18 | 27 | Brisbane | 9-19 (8) | 25 | 9.5 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 51% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 1.2 | 1.6 | 71% | 56% | 51% | 13 |
| 2016-17 | 26 | Brisbane | 10-18 (8) | 28 | 13.2 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 57% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 1.0 | 1.5 | 71% | 60% | 57% | 16 |
| 2015-16 | 25 | Townsville | 11-17 (7) | 27 | 17.0 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 3.9 | 43% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 2.6 | 52% | 46% | 43% | 10 |
| 2014-15 | 24 | Cairns | 21-7 (1) | 32 | 11.2 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 40% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.7 | 1.3 | 58% | 44% | 40% | |
| 2013-14 | 23 | Cairns | 12-16 (5) | 28 | 16.6 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 41% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.9 | 1.4 | 63% | 45% | 41% | Total | 163 | 12.7 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 46.6% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.1 | 61.5% | 50% | 47% | 16 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 16 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- AIS (2007–2009), Cairns (2014), Logan (2015–2021)
Young joined AIS for the 2007 SEABL season, beginning his development within the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence program and competing across the 2007 to 2009 SEABL seasons against senior opposition while establishing himself as a frontcourt contributor during his junior years.
He continued with AIS through the 2008 SEABL season, gaining extended minutes against experienced competition and contributing across multiple statistical categories as part of the program’s development pathway.
Young completed his AIS tenure in the 2009 SEABL season, finishing his three-year stint with consistent involvement in the rotation and experience against elite SEABL opposition before departing for college.
He joined Cairns for the 2014 QBL season, averaging 17.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 18 games while recording multiple double-doubles and helping Cairns reach the playoffs.
Young joined Logan for the 2015 QBL season, averaging 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds across 19 games as the team qualified for the postseason.
He remained with Logan for the 2016 QBL season, improving to 18.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game across 20 appearances while anchoring the frontcourt rotation.
A return to Logan in the 2017 QBL season saw him average 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds across 20 games, again contributing consistently on the interior.
During the 2018 QBL season with Logan, he averaged 19.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists across 19 games and was named to the QBL All-League Team, leading the Thunder to a playoff appearance.
He continued with Logan for the 2019 QBL season, averaging 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds across 18 games while recording multiple 20-point, 10-rebound performances as Logan reached the postseason.
Young remained with Logan through the 2020 season period, continuing his role as a key interior presence during the transition to NBL1 North competition structures.
He rejoined Logan for the 2021 NBL1 North season, averaging 17.9 points and 9.6 rebounds across 16 games while maintaining his status as a primary frontcourt option.
COLLEGE
Mitchell Young played four years of college basketball for Saint Mary’s College of California from 2009–10 through 2012–13, and he spent that full run alongside Matthew Dellavedova from 2009 to 2013 as part of Saint Mary’s sustained West Coast Conference contender era under Randy Bennett.
Young appeared in 131 games with 38 starts for the Gaels, finishing his Saint Mary’s career with 878 points (6.7 per game) and 542 rebounds (4.1 per game) across 2,251 total minutes, while shooting .556 from the field for his career, a mark that Saint Mary’s listed as tied for sixth in school history at the time he completed his senior season.
As a freshman in 2009–10, Young played in all 34 games as a reserve (13.5 minutes per game), averaged 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds, and ranked third on the team with 22 blocked shots while also posting early single-game bests that season including 12 points versus Howard and a five-block, seven-rebound outing against Santa Clara.
That first year also overlapped with Saint Mary’s 2010 NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet 16, where the Gaels reached the regional semifinal before falling to Baylor, giving Young early exposure to high-stakes March basketball as part of a veteran-led group that pushed deep into the bracket.
Young’s sophomore season in 2010–11 became his first major statistical jump, as he averaged 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game, scored in double figures 19 times, and was noted by Saint Mary’s as a WCC leader in field-goal percentage throughout the season while producing a string of big performances including 28 points versus Long Beach State (13-of-18 shooting) and 20 points at New Mexico State (10-of-14 shooting).
During that 2010–11 campaign, Young also earned West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week honours after a two-game burst that produced 48 combined points, and he delivered key tournament moments including 17 points in the WCC Tournament semifinals against Santa Clara, as Saint Mary’s finished as WCC regular-season co-champions and later played in the NIT.
In his junior season (2011–12), Young appeared in 28 games with three starts, averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds, and shot .607 from the floor, but his year was interrupted by injuries including an early groin issue and a later foot injury that cost him five total games, limiting his continuity during conference play.
Even with that stop-start junior year, Young delivered one of his most efficient March performances in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, matching his season-high with 12 points against Purdue while going 6-of-8 from the field as Saint Mary’s returned to the national stage.
As a senior in 2012–13, Young became a full-time starter, starting all 35 games and averaging 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, finishing 12th in the WCC in rebounding average, and adding perimeter range into his profile with six made three-pointers while shooting .734 at the free-throw line for the season.
That senior year included multiple signature events and game swings credited directly to Young, highlighted by his late free throws against Harvard on December 31, 2012 when he hit two at the line with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Saint Mary’s its only lead of the night in a 70–69 win, and he paired that clutch sequence with a season-high 16 points in the same game.
Young also produced senior-season rebound impact games that stood out across the schedule, including 10 rebounds against Northern Iowa, nine rebounds to lead the Gaels against LMU, and a 14-point game versus San Francisco where he went 6-for-6 at the line, reinforcing his role as a reliable frontcourt finisher alongside Saint Mary’s veteran guard play.
In postseason play during March 2013, Young delivered a notable WCC Tournament performance against San Diego in the semifinals, scoring 12 points and then adding four points in overtime as Saint Mary’s advanced to the WCC championship game against Gonzaga, extending the Gaels’ run of high-leverage conference tournament appearances during the Dellavedova era.
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