BIO: Sam Johns was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Southern basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Sam Johns made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

The 36ers needed more production at the point guard spot, leading to the exits of Gary Ervin (to Wollongong), Jason Cadee (to Sydney), and Rhys Carter (to Europe). They bolstered the backcourt with import guards Jamar Wilson (via Cairns) and Daequon Montreal (via Europe). The team also signed national team forward Brock Motum as a primary offensive focus.

Wilson (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led the team in scoring, earning NBL Player of the Week honours twice, including after a 22-point performance against Melbourne (Jan 10) and a 25-point game against Townsville (Feb 1). Motum (17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds) led the team in rebounds, while Creek (11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) continued to improve, emerging as the team’s third-leading scorer. Johns had limited court time, appearing in 6 games and averaging 0.2 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0 assists.

The 36ers finished third (17-11) before being eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions New Zealand in two games. Wilson’s standout play earned him the Mark Davis Trophy (club MVP) and All-NBL Second Team honours.

2015/16
Adelaide revamped its backcourt for the 2015/16 season, signing import guards Kenyon McNeail and Ebi Ere. After losing Brock Motum to Europe and parting ways with Luke Schenscher (who signed with Townsville), they also added forward Lucas Walker and young guard Nathan Sobey. Coach Joey Wright had previously scouted Sobey and offered him a contract after observing his potential during warm-ups when they played Cairns.

Johnson (15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds) continued to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, but McNeail left the team after sustaining a pre-season shoulder injury. Wright then signed Jerome Randle, who had been playing in Europe. Randle quickly became a fan favourite, bringing renewed energy and scoring ability to the team, and finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (23.0 points, 5.2 assists), becoming the first 36ers player to achieve this feat. Johns contributed 0 points, 1 rebound, and 0 assists in limited minutes as the team finished fifth with a 14-14 record, narrowly missing the playoffs.

2016/17
Adelaide retained star player Jerome Randle and added young prospects Anthony Drmic, Majok Deng, and import forward/centre Eric Jacobsen. They also signed high school star Terrance Ferguson, who joined the NBL instead of going to college, setting a precedent for the league’s future Next Stars Program.

Despite early injuries to Creek (ankle) and Johnson (hamstring), the 36ers turned their season around, recording a major eight-game winning streak and finishing first in the regular season (17-11). Randle (21.3 points, 5.4 assists) was named MVP, with Sobey (15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds) earning Most Improved Player honours and a spot on the All-NBL Second Team. Johns contributed 0.6 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists across limited appearances. The 36ers were eliminated in the semifinals by Illawarra, despite Randle’s impressive 26-point performance in Game 1.

2017/18
With a strong foundation, coach Joey Wright retained key players Mitch Creek, Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson, and others, while replacing Randle with Shannon Shorter and adding imports Ramone Moore and Ronald Roberts. Adelaide competed in and won the Merlion Cup during the pre-season but faced early-season import issues. Roberts was replaced after an injury, and veteran Josh Childress joined the squad.

Despite a rough start, Adelaide turned their season around after Christmas, winning 10 of their final 12 games and securing second place. Johns played sparingly, averaging 0 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0 assists. In the semifinals, Adelaide swept Perth before facing Melbourne in the Grand Final, ultimately losing in Game 5 as Melbourne secured the title.

Sam Johns played four seasons the Adelaide 36ers..

Dan Boyce (836 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.