BIO: Vince Kelley was born in Los Angeles, California (USA) and attended Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California.

The school’s basketball team was the nation’s top-ranked team in 1980, going undefeated and winning the national championship, with Kelley playing alongside future NBA players Jay Humphries and Ralph Jackson.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Vince Kelley made his NBL debut with the Bankstown Bruins on 13/4/1985. He scored 30 points in his first game.

By 1985, the gap between professional and semi-professional NBL clubs had widened considerably. Financially outmatched, the Bankstown Bruins struggled to remain competitive. The offseason saw the departure of cornerstone imports Eric Claus and Cliff Martin, who had led the team offensively during its most successful stretch. In their place arrived the explosive American duo of Vince Kelley and Vince Hinchen.

Despite their limited resources, Bankstown pulled off a major recruitment coup by signing reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Keogh from Nunawading. Fresh off a 20-point-per-game campaign, Keogh joined the Bruins in search of a larger role and greater minutes under returning coach Robbie Cadee.

The season began with a difficult opener against Keogh’s former club. Despite big games from Hinchen (36 points) and Kelley (30-point, 13-rebound), Bankstown fell to Nunawading 109–96, with Robert Scrigni torching the Bruins for 32 points on 14-of-18 shooting. A tight 92–89 loss to Canberra followed before the Bruins finally broke through with their first win of the season, against Geelong (107–103)—a game where Kelley (37 points and 22 rebounds), Hinchen (30 points), and Keogh (17 points and 9 assists) combined to show what this Bruins team was capable of on their best night.

However, any early momentum quickly evaporated. Bankstown dropped their next nine games, including a brutal loss to Coburg (115–144) where Bennie Lewis exploded for 43 points (18-of-29 shooting), 14 assists, and 5 steals. Despite Kelley (30 points) and Hinchen (21 points) being the primary scorers for Bankstown again, Bankstown’s defense was non-existent.

Another painful defeat during this stretch came against the Adelaide 36ers in a high-scoring shootout, where ‘The Two Vinces’ combined for 83 of the team’s 110 points—Hinchen (43 points) and Kelley (40 points and 15 rebounds) having explosive games but the Bruins falling short (110–117).

Kelley (31.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks) and Hinchen (30.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists) started the season as one of the NBL’s most potent offensive duos. Keogh (13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists), expected to flourish in a larger role, found the transition difficult and was unable to replicate his output from the previous year.

Beyond the imports, second-year forward Andrew Svaldenis was a bright spot (11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds), with other key contributors including Tony Barnett (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), Greg Hemmings (6.4 points, 2.1 assists), and Mark Cumberbatch (5.1 points, 3.8 rebounds).

With the team slumping to a 2–13 record, Vince Hinchen departed the club, and the Bruins limped through the remainder of the year, but managed to close on a rare high.

In their final game of the season, Bankstown edged the Sydney Supersonics 90–89. Keogh erupted for 24 points, hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc. Kelley (35 points and 9 rebounds) and Svaldenis (13 points and 9 boards) also stepped up in the win.

Bankstown finished the 1985 campaign with a 6–20 record, placing twelfth in the league. Despite boasting two of the NBL’s most prolific scorers, the Bruins were undone by poor defense, roster instability, and financial struggles. At season’s end, the club was renamed the West Sydney Westars, marking the end of the Bankstown Bruins’ seven-year run in the NBL.

Vince Kelley played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Bankstown Bruins and the West Sydney Westars. He averaged 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 77 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 14th in points per game.
– 30th in rebounds per game.

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.