BIO: Woodberry played as a point guard, shooting guard and small forward.

Born in Wichita, Kansas he attended Wichita South High School.

He played on two state title team’s and was named Kansas Naismith Player of the Year as a senior in 1990.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Steve Woodberry made his NBL debut with the Gold Coast Rollers at 23 years of age. He scored 22 points in his first game.

By 1995 the Gold Coast Rollers had been struggling financially for some time. The team would lose a good chunk of its roster to various exits which included Andre LaFleur (quit), Mike Mitchell (Brisbane), Steve Key (knee injury), Matt Reece (Melbourne), Andrew Goodwin (Brisbane). Coach Dave Claxton was able to retain Peter Hill, Tony DeAmbrosis, John Szigeti and added Perth veteran Trevor Torrance, who had seen diminished playing oppourtunies over the past few seasons and replaced long time import duo Mike Mitchell and Andre LaFleur with Fred Herzog (Canberra) and Tony Massop.

Massop failed to live up to expectations and was cut prior to the season starting. The team replacing him with Kansas University product Steve Woodberry.

Woodberry averaged 24.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists before a severe knee injury ended his debut season after only 16 games. Woodberry returned to Kansas University for his rehabiliation and during the next 8 months underwent four knee surgeries.

The trio of Woodberry, Herzog (20 points per game) and Torrance (15.2 points) failed to deliver the success or excitement the ‘ Mitchell and LaFleur’ team’s had brought to the Carrara Indoor Stadium previously.

The Rollers roster, which was primarily made up of aging veterans and cheap state league talent struggled to say the least, and managed only five wins for the season.

BRISBANE BULLETS
1996
In 1996, the Brisbane Bullets re-loaded by adding veterans Mike McKay (via Adelaide) and Mark Dalton (via Sydney), as well star import Steve Woodberry (23.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists), who was coming off a major injury, led the team in scoring, and was selected to the All-NBL second team. McKay (17.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) was impressive during his first season in Brisbane while the legendary Loggins (16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) delivered his worst season ever, recording career lows in points, rebounds, assists and steals, prompting many to think he may retire at seasons end.

During a extremely tight season where Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all tasted the league’s leadership at some point, the Bullets finished up in eighth place (14-12) under first-year head coach David Ingham. Loggins (16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) who averaged career lows in points, rebounds, assists and steals, prompting many to think he may retire at season’s end.

1997
After finishing eighth with a 14-12 record and losing its 1996 quarterfinal series to Melbourne in three games, Brisbane moved on from Mike Mitchell (to North Melbourne), Andrew Goodwin (to North Melbourne), Luke Gribble, Ryan Stolberg and Shaun Guy, while captain Leroy Loggins, Steve Woodberry, Mike McKay, Rodger Smith, Mark Dalton, Robert Sibley and Aaron Honeyman returned under second-year head coach David Ingham. John Szigeti (via Gold Coast), Toby Zaremba (via Gold Coast), Andrew Ramsay (via Geelong), rookie Ben Thompson (via AIS) and import Leonard White were added, although Ramsay did not appear in an NBL game.

Brisbane opened the season at the Brisbane Convention Centre on April 11, where Woodberry (28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), McKay (24 points and 7 rebounds) and White (23 points and 13 rebounds) led the Bullets to a 111-105 win over Melbourne, while Andrew Gaze (33 points) led the Tigers.

Woodberry (21.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2 steals across 32 games) appeared in every game for Brisbane, playing all 30 regular-season games and both playoff games. Before returning to the Bullets he had also spent the Australian off-season playing with the Quad City Thunder in the CBA, appearing in 30 games before beginning his second season in Brisbane.

White (16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 3 games) was cut after Brisbane’s opening three games, with Dwayne McClain (via Gold Coast) brought in as his replacement. McClain (16.8 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals across 21 games) had finished the previous season playing the final six games for the financially troubled Gold Coast Rollers before the club folded and gave Brisbane another experienced scorer alongside Woodberry and Loggins.

On May 24, Woodberry (33 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made 13-of-19 shots as Brisbane defeated Illawarra 110-92, with McClain (27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Loggins (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) providing support, while Clayton Ritter (27 points) and Bryan Edwards (23 points) were best for the Hawks.

Woodberry produced another big scoring game against Newcastle on June 15, finishing with 36 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals while making all four of his three-point attempts as Brisbane won 116-108. Smith (23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals) and Loggins (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) provided support, while Tonny Jensen (37 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led Newcastle.

One of Woodberry’s best all-round performances came against North Melbourne on September 20, when he recorded a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Loggins (24 points and 6 rebounds), Thompson (16 points) and Szigeti (15 points and 5 assists) kept Brisbane close, but Pat Reidy (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Giants to a 92-90 win at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre.

Woodberry’s season-high scoring performance came in Brisbane’s final regular-season game against Melbourne on September 29, where he finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, making 13-of-22 shots and 13-of-14 free throws. Loggins (27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Smith (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) provided support, but Melbourne won 116-107 as Brisbane completed the regular season in fifth place with a 15-15 record.

Loggins (21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 32 games) bounced back from the worst statistical season of his career to finish only 0.1 points behind Woodberry in scoring, with both selected to the All-NBL Second Team. McKay (18.6 points and 5 rebounds across 7 games) was productive before appearing in only seven games, while Smith (9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals across 32 games), Dalton (8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds across 32 games) and Thompson (6.9 points across 29 games) provided the other major contributions. McClain suffered an injury against Townsville in September and missed Brisbane’s final four regular-season games and both playoff games, while Bruce Hamilton (via Brisbane – state league) was elevated late in the season and appeared in two games.

Brisbane opened its quarterfinal series at the Perth Entertainment Centre on October 4, where Loggins (32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks) and Woodberry (23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) pushed the Wildcats throughout, but Ricky Grace (18 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Todd Lichti (15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Andrew Vlahov (14 points and 12 rebounds) led Perth to an 81-79 win.

Game two moved to the Brisbane Convention Centre, where Woodberry (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block), Dalton (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Loggins (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Brisbane, but Grace (25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals), Vlahov (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and David Van Dyke (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Perth to an 88-71 win and completed the two-game sweep.

1998
After four consecutive first-round playoff exits, Brisbane released head coach David Ingham and brought Brian Kerle back to the club after he had previously coached the Bullets to championships in 1985 and 1987. Mike McKay (to Canberra), Dwayne McClain, Mark Dalton (to Wollongong), Robert Sibley and Leonard White departed, while captain Leroy Loggins, Steve Woodberry, Rodger Smith, John Szigeti and Aaron Honeyman returned. Kerle rebuilt the frontcourt with import Chuck Kornegay and Mark Nash, while CJ Bruton (via Indian Hills CC), Ben Thompson, Ryan Stolberg and Ben Castle were also added.

The high cost of playing home games at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, combined with falling attendances, also forced the Bullets to move into the smaller 4,000-seat Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from the beginning of the season.

Brisbane opened the season at its new home against defending champion Melbourne on January 30, defeating the Tigers 105-97. Loggins (27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block) led Brisbane, while Bruton (14 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals) made an immediate impact in his return to the NBL.

Woodberry (26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals across 34 games) appeared in every Brisbane game and produced the highest-scoring season of his NBL career to that point, lifting his average by almost five points from the previous year while again leading the Bullets in scoring. He also led the NBL in free-throw percentage at 92.2 percent and was selected to the All-NBL First Team for the first time.

One of Brisbane’s most important regular-season victories came against South East Melbourne on February 28, when the Bullets defeated the Magic 81-76 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and handed the eventual minor premiers one of only four regular-season losses. Bruton (15 points and 2 steals) made four of five three-pointers and Loggins (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided further support.

Brisbane relied heavily on its perimeter scoring throughout the season, with Woodberry combining with Loggins (17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 26 games) and Bruton (15.4 points, 4 assists, and 1.8 steals across 34 games) to form one of the league’s most effective backcourts. Kornegay (16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 34 games) gave Kerle a major interior presence, while Nash (9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds across 34 games) and Thompson (6.3 points across 13 games) provided additional depth.

Brisbane closed the regular season with a 101-89 victory over Adelaide at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on June 7, with Bruton (15 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) helping the Bullets finish fourth with a 16-14 record. Melbourne also finished 16-14, but Brisbane claimed fourth place and home-court advantage through the head-to-head tie-breaker.

The elimination finals opened in Brisbane, where the Bullets defeated defending champion Melbourne 93-80 to take control of the series. Loggins (14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and Bruton (11 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) provided key contributions as Brisbane moved within one victory of finally advancing beyond the opening round.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Brisbane overwhelmed the Tigers 114-81. Loggins (27 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) made four three-pointers and Bruton (14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) added support as the Bullets completed the sweep and advanced beyond the first round for the first time since 1993.

Woodberry’s best game and highest-scoring performance of the season came in the opening game of the semifinals against South East Melbourne at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Woodberry (46 points and 12 rebounds) carried the Bullets offensively and produced the highest-scoring game of his NBL career, but Ronaldson (26 points and 4 rebounds), Kelly (25 points) and McDaniel (19 points) led the Magic to a 106-98 victory. The performance included Woodberry repeatedly creating second-chance opportunities and drawing defensive attention before finding teammates as Brisbane pushed the league’s dominant regular-season team deep into the game.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Woodberry (28 points and 8 rebounds) again led Brisbane, while Loggins (13 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Bruton (15 points and 5 assists) provided support. Mackinnon (30 points and 10 rebounds) and Ronaldson (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) led South East Melbourne to a 90-84 victory, completing the semifinal sweep and ending Brisbane’s season one round short of the Grand Final.

1998/99
The Bullets made a number of moves during the off-season, signing import Thaddeus Delaney as a replacement for the departing Chuck Kornegay, and adding Ben Knight and Matthew Shanahan, who were both squeezed out of the Giants/Magic merger and Phil Doherty, who had left the Wildcat’s looking for more playing time.

Steve Woodberry (27.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.1 steals) delivered his best season and took home the 1999 NBL MVP in the process alongside Leroy Loggins (18.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals), still delivering at 41 years of age. Other than that, the Bullets roster was light on, to say the least. Delaney (11.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks), while able to fill the box score, never delivered on his potential. Veteran Rodger Smith (6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) did what he could on defence, and 23-year-old Mark Nash (8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists) stepped up here, he could, but when that’s the production you’re getting out of your starting lineup, it was always going to require a big night from Woodberry/Loggins just to keep it competitive.

The team finished with a 13-13 record, finishing fifth and earning a qualifying finals matchup against the Melbourne Tigers, who eliminated Brisbane in two straight games.

It's just a game. have fun with it!! @SteveWoodberry @nblhistory @BrisbaneBullets @NBL pic.twitter.com/KzmWa1rPDG— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) March 17, 2023

SYDNEY KINGS
1999/00
During the 2000 season, Woodberry averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists and was a part of the Kings squad which finished in a seventh place with a record of 11-17.

Steve Woodberry played six seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Gold Coast Rollers, Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings. He averaged 24.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 143 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 47th in points per game.

HIGHLIGHTS: