BIO: Scott McGregor was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Newcastle basketball program. McGregor received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1994. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Scott McGregor made his NBL debut with the Newcastle Falcons at 20 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

2003/04
The West Sydney Razorbacks entered the 2003/04 season with a bold new direction, opting not to re-sign veteran foundation duo Derek Rucker and Bruce Bolden. Instead, the team made history by becoming the first in the modern NBL era to field a full lineup of Australian talent. With John Rillie absent for half of the previous season while playing in Greece and Sam MacKinnon returning from injury, this was the first season the roster had a clear “runway” to build continuity and challenge for a title.

West Sydney opened the season in dominant fashion, securing a 119-103 home victory over the Hunter Pirates, with Rillie leading the way with 28 points, while Simon Dwight and Sam MacKinnon controlled the paint. The Razorbacks followed up with a hard-fought 107-100 road win over Townsville before falling to Brisbane (97-105) in their first defeat of the season.

As the season progressed, McGregor (13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) continued to provide key contributions alongside Dwight (15.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks), who anchored the defense, and Aaron Trahair (13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), who added perimeter scoring. The team’s balance and depth became evident, leading to a stretch of strong performances, including a 101-90 victory over Melbourne, a 109-105 win over Wollongong, and a crucial 100-87 victory against Perth.

The Razorbacks continued to assert themselves as one of the league’s top contenders, recording significant wins, including a dominant 118-103 performance over Hunter and a 119-96 victory against Adelaide, with MacKinnon producing a standout performance. McGregor was once again a steady contributor, playing his role effectively within the team’s well-balanced offensive system. His impact was felt most in tight contests, including a 94-82 win over Brisbane, where Dwight recorded a double-double, and a 104-91 victory against Townsville, where Trahair played a key role in the final minutes.

West Sydney finished the regular season as one of the top teams in the league, breaking club records for most wins in a season, most home wins, and most road victories. Their strong form carried into the postseason, where they defeated Cairns 110-88 in the elimination final, led by Rillie (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists), MacKinnon (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists), and Dwight (17 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks).

The team then swept Wollongong in the semifinals, winning Game 1 (107-91) behind MacKinnon’s 20 points, Dwight’s 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Rillie’s 15 points. In Game 2, West Sydney secured their Grand Final berth with a 110-95 victory, powered by Rillie’s 21 points, Trahair’s 18, and Dwight’s 16-point, 8-rebound, 6-block performance.

In the best-of-five Grand Final series against the Sydney Kings, the Razorbacks faced a tough challenge but remained competitive throughout. After falling in Game 1 (96-76), where Dwight led the team with 23 points, they responded with a commanding 87-72 victory in Game 2, with Rillie top-scoring at 18 points, Trahair adding 17, and McGregor contributing with his typical efficiency. The Razorbacks then took a 2-1 series lead after a dramatic 82-80 overtime win in Game 3, putting them within one victory of the championship. Dwight recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Trahair added 15.

Sydney bounced back in Game 4, securing an 82-77 win despite Rillie’s 31-point explosion and MacKinnon’s defensive presence (10 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks). This set up a decisive Game 5, where in front of 9,609 fans at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, the Razorbacks fought hard but ultimately fell 90-79. Trahair led the team with 20 points, Dwight added 18, and Rillie chipped in 12. West Sydney stayed within striking distance for most of the game, but the experience of the Kings proved decisive, with Ebi Ere (25 points) and Grand Final MVP Matt Nielsen (18 points) delivering clutch performances in the fourth quarter to seal the title for Sydney.

Despite the disappointment of losing the Grand Final, the 2003/04 season marked one of the Razorbacks’ most successful campaigns. John Rillie and Sam MacKinnon were both named to the All-NBL First Team, while rookie Steven Markovic earned NBL Rookie of the Year honors. West Sydney’s strong season further cemented their place as one of the league’s premier teams.

Scott McGregor played fourteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Newcastle Falcons, West Sydney Razorbacks, Sydney Kings and Gold Coast Blaze. He averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 413 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 48th in total games played.
– 37th in total rebounds
– 47th in total assists

Dan Boyce (827 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.