BIO: Travis Rousell was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Diamond Valley basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Travis Rousell made his NBL debut with the North Melbourne Giants at 19 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

1994
North Melbourne entered 1994 with its future having been secured by a group of new investors after the club’s financial problems became public. The ownership change also brought a new uniform, with the Giants abandoning their traditional maroon colours for a look similar to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

Brett Brown returned for his second season as coach, with Pat Reidy, Paul Maley, Paul Rees, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce and Mark Leader forming the veteran core. Jason Reese (to Canberra) left the club, while Darryl McDonald (via CBA) and John Stelzer (via Canberra) were added. Travis Rousell also returned to North Melbourne after previously appearing for the Giants in 1991 and spending the 1993/94 college season with Concordia in California.

Rousell (0 points across 1 game) received only a single NBL appearance during the championship season, collecting 1 rebound in his lone outing before remaining outside Brown’s regular rotation for the remainder of the year.

Reidy (19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals across 33 games) and Maley (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds across 25 games) were North Melbourne’s leading scorers, while McDonald (17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4.5 steals across 33 games) gave the Giants the playmaking and defensive presence that had been missing from the backcourt. Rees (12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds across 33 games), Johnson (12.7 points across 33 games) and Sengstock (9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 33 games) supplied the remaining production. McDonald led the NBL in steals and earned All-NBL First Team honours, Reidy was selected to the All-NBL Third Team and Brown was named NBL Coach of the Year.

Despite being widely tipped to finish last, North Melbourne ended the regular season second with a 19-7 record. The 1994 campaign also became the first NBL season to pass one million spectators during the regular season.

Rousell did not appear during the quarterfinal series against Sydney. The Kings opened with a 131-109 victory before North Melbourne responded 112-91 in game two and won the deciding game 104-95 to advance.

Rousell also remained out of the lineup throughout the semifinals, where the Giants defeated South East Melbourne 108-87 at Melbourne Park before surviving 79-76 at the Glasshouse to complete the sweep.

He did not play in game one of the Grand Final as North Melbourne defeated Adelaide 95-93 in overtime at the Clipsal Powerhouse after McDonald hit the game-winning shot.

Rousell remained out of the rotation for game two as Maley (21 points and 10 rebounds) and Rees (20 points and 7 rebounds) led North Melbourne to a 117-97 victory over Adelaide. The Giants completed the 2-0 sweep to claim their second NBL championship, with Rees named Grand Final MVP.

Travis Rousell played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Hobart Devils and the North Melbourne Giants. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1 assists in 28 NBL games.