Josh Bannan
December 25, 2023
Rasmus Bach
- Nationality: AUT/DEN
- Date of Birth: 22/07/95
- Place of Birth: Denmark
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Fort Lewis (2013-2018)
- NBL DEBUT: 6/10/20
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 4/02/23
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: New Zealand 2021-22 | Brisbane 2023
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Rasmus Bach was born in Denmark. He later moved to the US where he attended Anderson High School in Austin, Texas.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Rasmus Bach made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.
Affter finishing sixth with a 15-13 record and missing the playoffs in 2019/20, New Zealand entered Dan Shamir’s second season without Scotty Hopson (to Melbourne), RJ Hampton (to Denver), Sek Henry (to Turkey), Jordan Ngatai (to Cairns), Brandon Ashley and Ater Majok. Tai Webster (via Galatasaray), Lamar Patterson (via Brisbane), Colton Iverson (via Saint Petersburg), Dan Trist (via South East Melbourne) and Rasmus Bach (via Randers) joined the team, while Kyrin Galloway, Taine Murray and Isaac Davidson were added as development players. The Breakers signed Bach to a two-year deal after he had spent the previous two seasons playing in Denmark. “I always dreamed of coming to the NBL,” he said.
COVID-19 delayed the season until January and forced New Zealand to relocate to Australia, with the Breakers playing their first 29 games outside New Zealand and using Tasmania as a temporary home base. New Zealand opened its season against Adelaide at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on January 22, where Rasmus (6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) made his NBL debut, but the 36ers defeated the Breakers 94-91 in overtime.
Bach (4.8 points across 36 games) became a regular part of New Zealand’s rotation, averaging almost 16 minutes and shooting 40 percent from three. He appeared in every game and did not miss a game through injury.
One of his best performances came against Brisbane at the State Basketball Centre on March 3, where Bach (16 points and 2 rebounds) made four three-pointers as New Zealand defeated the Bullets 97-92 for its second consecutive win.
His best game of the season came against Brisbane at Nissan Arena on March 27, where Bach (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) made four three-pointers and played almost 40 minutes as New Zealand defeated the Bullets 81-76 in overtime and ended a four-game losing streak. Tai Webster (27 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals) led the Breakers, while Iverson (10 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 blocks) tied the club’s single-game rebounding record and Anthony Drmic (25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals) led Brisbane.
New Zealand’s roster was repeatedly disrupted throughout the season. Patterson (10.8 points and 3.7 rebounds across 6 Breakers games) suffered a knee injury against Illawarra on February 22 and was later released (to Brisbane), with Jeremy Kendle brought in as a short-term replacement before Levi Randolph (14.8 points and 3.4 rebounds across 15 games) arrived (via Canton Charge) as Patterson’s replacement. William McDowell-White (7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 20 games) also joined (via Rio Grande Valley) as a nominated replacement player, while Jarrad Weeks was released (to Sydney) so he could return home to his family.
Tai Webster (17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.2 steals across 29 games) led New Zealand in scoring despite missing seven games, while Delany (16.2 points and 6.8 rebounds across 36 games) produced a breakout season and was named the Breakers’ club MVP and selected to the All-NBL Second Team. Corey Webster (13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3 assists across 28 games) battled hand and knee injuries, Abercrombie (10.6 points and 3.4 rebounds across 27 games) missed the final nine games with a hamstring injury and Iverson (8.8 points and 8.6 rebounds across 36 games) joined Bach in appearing in every game. Loe (6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds across 17 games) also missed significant time after returning to New Zealand for family reasons.
After finally returning home, New Zealand went 3-4 across its final seven games. The Breakers closed the season against South East Melbourne at Trusts Arena on June 5, where Bach (7 points and 1 steal) came off the bench, while Keifer Sykes (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Phoenix to an 83-78 win as New Zealand finished eighth with a 12-24 record.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2021/22
After playing 29 of their 36 games in Australia and finishing eighth with a 12-24 record the previous season, the New Zealand Breakers were again forced to play their entire NBL22 campaign away from home. Corey Webster (to Egypt) was released to continue his career overseas, while Tai Webster (to Lithuania) departed after choosing not to meet the NBL’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Coach Dan Shamir added Yanni Wetzell (via South East Melbourne), imports Peyton Siva (via Berlin), Hugo Besson (via France) and Jeremiah Martin (via Cleveland), while French prospect Ousmane Dieng (via France) joined through the NBL’s Next Stars program.
The Breakers exercised the second-year club option in Bach’s two-year contract in June after he played all 36 games during his first NBL season and made several important late three-pointers. “Rasmus is a five-star guy. Teammates love him, coaches love him,” said Shamir.
New Zealand entered the season following a team-wide COVID-19 outbreak, with Siva (11.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2 steals) and captain Thomas Abercrombie (7.4 points) also missing time through injury. Chasson Randle (7.8 points across 17 games) was signed as an injury replacement player for Siva as the Breakers opened the season with six consecutive losses.
Bach (2.9 points across 18 games) remained a depth option at guard and on the wing, making one start and averaging 14.4 minutes. He did not suffer a publicly reported injury or illness during the season. Bach was listed but did not enter 10 games as he remained outside Shamir’s regular rotation, including six consecutive games between March 20 and April 10.
Bach produced an important contribution against Illawarra at MyState Bank Arena on February 2, entering after the Hawks reduced a 24-point deficit to eight and finishing with 6 points and 3 rebounds. He made two three-pointers in quick succession to restore New Zealand’s 16-point lead and defended Tyler Harvey during Illawarra’s comeback attempt, with Wetzell (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Siva (14 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals) leading the Breakers, while Harvey (17 points) led the Hawks as New Zealand won 90-67.
Siva’s return led to New Zealand and Martin (12.3 points and 3.6 assists across 10 games) agreeing to a mutual release, with the Breakers choosing to retain Randle for the remainder of the season. Plans to play home games later in the campaign were abandoned because of continuing border restrictions, forcing the team to remain based primarily in Tasmania as New Zealand fell to 4-10 by the middle of February.
Wetzell (17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 22 games) led the Breakers in scoring and rebounding before being released (to Spain) to join Baskonia and was later named the club’s MVP. Besson (13.9 points and 3.9 rebounds across 25 games), Delany (10 points and 5.6 rebounds across 26 games) and Dieng (8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds across 23 games) were the team’s other major contributors, with Besson and Dieng later returning (to France) to prepare for the NBA draft.
With Wetzell, Besson and Dieng unavailable, Bach’s best game came against Adelaide at MyState Bank Arena on April 24, where he made four three-pointers and finished with 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. Randle (14 points, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Loe (9 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) provided support, while Sunday Dech (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) led Adelaide to a 93-60 victory. It was New Zealand’s tenth consecutive loss and completed the worst season in the club’s 19-year history, with the Breakers finishing tenth with a 5-23 record.
BRISBANE BULLETS
2022/23
After finishing eighth with a 10-18 record during James Duncan’s first season as coach, Brisbane moved on from Robert Franks (to Adelaide), Anthony Drmic (to Adelaide), Deng Deng (to Illawarra), and Chuanxing Liu (to the Bay Area Dragons), while Lamar Patterson, Isaiah Moss, Jack Salt, and Tom Digbeu were not retained. Aron Baynes (via Toronto), Tyler Johnson (via San Antonio), Devondrick Walker (via Rockingham), Harry Froling (via Illawarra), Gorjok Gak (via Nymburk), DJ Mitchell (via Gold Coast), and Kody Stattmann (via Virginia) joined captain Nathan Sobey, Jason Cadee, Tyrell Harrison, and Tanner Krebs on a roster many expected to finish inside the top four.
After spending two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers and playing with the Logan Thunder during the NBL1 North season, Bach (via New Zealand) joined Brisbane as its nominated replacement player for NBL23. The designation allowed him to move in and out of the active roster and provide cover whenever another player was injured or unavailable. “Representing and playing for the Bullets is a dream come true,” he said.
Brisbane lost its opening six games before collecting consecutive victories over Illawarra and defeating Tasmania 74-72 to complete a three-game winning streak. Bach (3 points across 19 games) made four starts and moved in and out of the rotation according to Brisbane’s availability. His opportunities increased in November when Stattmann suffered an ankle injury at training and was ruled out for six weeks, with Bach activated as his replacement.
The brief improvement did not stabilise the club. Walker (9 points across 5 games) was released and replaced by Andrew White (via Büyükçekmece), while Duncan and Brisbane mutually parted ways after nine games. General Manager Sam Mackinnon became interim coach before assistant coach Greg Vanderjagt took control for the remainder of the season, with New Zealand coach Pero Cameron later joining the staff. Brisbane subsequently suffered a 116-79 loss against New Zealand and a 116-67 defeat against Sydney, with the 49-point margin becoming the largest during the NBL’s 40-minute era.
Bach’s best game came at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 17, where he made five of his six field-goal attempts and finished with 10 points, 1 rebound, and 3 steals. Cadee (18 points and 2 steals) and Mitchell (12 points) were Brisbane’s other leading scorers, while Franks (25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led Adelaide to a 108-77 victory, handing the Bullets their fourth consecutive loss and leaving them with a 4-11 record.
Johnson (15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) finished as Brisbane’s leading scorer per game, received the Members MVP and Players’ Player awards, and was runner-up to Barry Brown Jr for the NBL’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Sobey (15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) received the Leroy Loggins Trophy as the club’s Most Valuable Player, Baynes (11.7 points and 7.8 rebounds) was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Cadee (11.5 points and 4.1 assists) received the St Genevieve Partners’ Choice Award. Three of Brisbane’s eight victories came against an Illawarra team that recorded the worst season in club history, with the disappointing campaign leading to another major roster and staff turnover.
After the season, the out-of-contract Bach announced his retirement from professional basketball. “I’m grateful for every opportunity I had to lace up and compete with my teammates,” he said.
His final NBL appearance came against New Zealand at Nissan Arena on February 4, where Bach (8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made two three-pointers, including one that gave Brisbane the lead after the opening quarter and another that put the Bullets ahead by two points late in the third. Baynes (17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Johnson (15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Brisbane, while Brantley (19 points and 5 rebounds) was New Zealand’s leading scorer as the Breakers won 80-75 in overtime and Brisbane finished ninth with an 8-20 record.
Rasmus Bach played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the New Zealand Breakers and the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 27 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 19 | 252 | 57 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 25 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 28 | 18 | 51 | 35% | 3 | 22 | 14% | 18 | 23 | 78% | 46% | 38% | 10 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | New Zealand | 5-23 (10) | 18 | 261 | 52 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 31 | 17 | 43 | 40% | 13 | 35 | 37% | 4 | 8 | 50% | 56% | 55% | 14 |
| 2020-21 | 26 | New Zealand | 12-24 (8) | 36 | 572 | 172 | 61 | 22 | 18 | 43 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 63 | 57 | 131 | 44% | 38 | 94 | 40% | 20 | 25 | 80% | 60% | 58% | 16 | Totals | 73 | 1084 | 281 | 124 | 44 | 31 | 93 | 39 | 9 | 34 | 122 | 92 | 225 | 40.9% | 54 | 151 | 35.8% | 42 | 56 | 75.0% | 56% | 53% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 27 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 19 | 13.2 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 35% | 0.2 | 1.2 | 14% | 0.9 | 1.2 | 78% | 46% | 38% | 10 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | New Zealand | 5-23 (10) | 18 | 14.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 40% | 0.7 | 1.9 | 37% | 0.2 | 0.4 | 50% | 56% | 55% | 14 |
| 2020-21 | 26 | New Zealand | 12-24 (8) | 36 | 15.9 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 44% | 1.1 | 2.6 | 40% | 0.6 | 0.7 | 80% | 60% | 58% | 16 | Total | 73 | 14.8 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 40.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35.8% | 0.7 | 2.1 | 75.0% | 56% | 53% | 16 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 16 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- South West Metro (2014), Logan (2022–2023)
Bach joined South West Metro for the 2014 Queensland Basketball League season and averaged 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals across 16 games in his first senior state league stint.
Rasmus Bach joined Logan for the 2022 NBL1 North season after signing on 3 March 2022, returning to the club where he had previously played junior representative basketball. He played 20 games and averaged 15.55 points, 5.95 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.05 steals, with notable scoring outings including 26 points against Southern Districts, 26 points with seven rebounds and four assists in another early-season win, and 24 points with five assists against Rockhampton.
Bach remained part of Logan’s 2022 finals run and produced 21 points and seven assists in the NBL1 North quarter-final against Gold Coast, with Logan pushing the top-seeded Rollers to overtime before falling 102-100.
Bach re-signed with Logan for the 2023 NBL1 North season on 1 February 2023 and played 18 games, averaging 13.33 points, 5.83 rebounds, 3.61 assists and 1.11 steals. His stronger performances included 21 points, six rebounds and four assists against Red City, 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals against Rockhampton, and 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Logan’s win over USC Rip City.
Bach helped Logan finish the 2023 regular season in second place at 15-4. In the finals he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in the quarter-final win over Darwin before Logan’s season ended with a semi-final loss to Ipswich.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Denmark - Randers Cimbria (2018–2020)
Bach joined Randers Cimbria for the 2018–19 Basketligaen season in Denmark after signing in July 2018, and in 33 games he averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals.
He remained with Randers Cimbria for the 2019–20 Danish Basketligaen season and lifted his numbers to 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals across 24 games.
Bach began a third season with Randers Cimbria in 2020–21 and averaged 8.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in eight Basketligaen appearances before departing mid-season.
COLLEGE
Rasmus Bach played five seasons at Fort Lewis College from 2013–14 to 2017–18, becoming one of the most decorated guards in Skyhawks history after arriving in Durango from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas, where he was a four-year starter and earned first-team all-district, first-team all-region, and Offensive Player of the Year recognition.
Bach’s college career began in 2013–14, but it was derailed almost immediately when he appeared in just two games before suffering a season-ending knee injury, setting up a five-year Fort Lewis run that later finished with a program-record 98 wins as the winningest player in school history.
He broke through as a redshirt freshman in 2014–15, earning RMAC Freshman of the Year and starting a streak of All-RMAC and academic honours that continued throughout his career, later adding All-RMAC Second Team honours as a sophomore in 2015–16 before ascending to All-RMAC First Team in both 2016–17 and 2017–18.
By the time he finished in 2017–18, Bach had piled up 1,841 points to sit second on Fort Lewis’ career scoring list, and he was also credited in the record book as a top-end career producer with 615 made field goals, 497 made free throws, 639 rebounds, and 320 assists, while ranking fifth all-time at the school in assists and eighth in rebounds.
His senior season in 2017–18 included 31 starts and averages of 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and a career-high 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 84.9 percent at the foul line, and his single-game Fort Lewis highs included 29 points (twice, most recently at Colorado Mines on March 4, 2017), 11 rebounds (twice), and eight assists (three times, including vs Adams State on December 12, 2017).
Bach’s final year also added major postseason recognition, as he was named All-RMAC First Team again, then picked up National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-South Central District First Team honours, after earlier being named to the D2CCA South Central Region Second Team as a junior, while helping Fort Lewis win RMAC regular-season championships in both 2016 and 2018, the RMAC tournament title in 2016, and make three NCAA Division II tournament appearances that included marquee wins over Dallas Baptist in 2016 and Tarleton State in 2017.
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