The Perth Wildcats have signed local seven-footer Andrew Ferguson as a development player for the 2020/21 NBL season.
The Perth born big man developed his game with the Lakeside Lightning as a junior before attending Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence from 2013 to 2016.
Standing 213cm centre Ferguson represented Western Australia at the Under-20 National Championships Ferguson before gaining a college scholarship from the University of San Diego.
He played 17 games for the University of San Diego as a redshirt freshman, averaging 2.5 points, in six minutes per game.
“His bread and butter is down in the low block,” Smith said. “He can make threes, he’s a terrific passer and a good rebounder. He’s got a very good basketball IQ, and he’s huge” says his former USD coach Lamont Smith
In the 2019/20 college season, Andrew Ferguson averaged 14.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters.
As an Otter he exploded during a game in January, scoring 34 points, the most scored by a player in the California Collegiate Athletic Association player last season.
His 34 point, 7 rebound effort came against Sonoma State where he shot 11 for 15 from the field (including 6 of 8 from downtown) in 27 minutes of game time.
Ferguson has another two years of college eligibility in the US but due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the upcoming NCAA season decided a chance to ply his wares in the NBL was too good to pass up.
The 21-year-old has been training with the Wildcats throughout the 2020 off-season.
“’Ferg’ has a really good skill set, being seven-foot tall with the ability to shoot the three,” said coach Trevor Gleeson.
“He now has the opportunity to go up against elite athletes every day. We’ll put a lot of work in getting his body ready for when the time comes to become a professional
“It’s great we now have the opportunity to produce another WA local through our system, and hopefully he will be a senior contracted Wildcat in the future.”
Ferguson currently plays for the Lakeside Lightning in the SBL’s West Coast Classic competition, where he is averaging 13.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per outing.
While this season Ferguson will be hoping to help the Wildcats their eleventh championship and third in a row this season he believes he can follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian big men like Aron Baynes, Thon Maker, Isaac Humphries who have all made it to the NBA in recent years.
“They’ve all paved a pathway and it seems like it’s happening more and more. More guys are making it,” Ferguson said.
“If you can bring something which is different to other players, you’re always going to valuable.
“I have got a good post-game but I can also stretch the floor and play more from the perimeter. I think it’s those type of things that will be my point of difference”.
He joins Luke Travers and Taylor Britt as 2020/21 Perth Wildcats Development Players.
Currently, the team has nine players signed to the full roster Mitch Norton, Jesse Wagstaff, Clint Stiendl, Majok Majok, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Bryce Cotton, Todd Blanchfield, Kevin White and John Mooney.
The team is awaiting confirmation on Bryce Cotton’s eligibility to play as an Australian in 2020/21 before likely re-signing former NBA centre Miles Plumlee, check our Free Agent Tracker for more details.
Playing Highlights
- Attended the Australian Center of Excellence
- Played with the Lakeside Lightning in the Western Australia State League.
- Member of the Australian U18 National Team.
- Member of the 2016 Australian Under 18 National Team, which participated in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament.
- Represented Western Australia in the Australian U20 National Championships.