BIO: Yudai Baba was born in Toyama (Japan).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Yudai Baba made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 25 years of age. He scored 10 points in his first game.

After finishing fourth with a 15-13 record and losing its semifinal series to Sydney the previous season, Melbourne reshaped its roster after multiple seasons trying to get import Casey Prather back onto the court, with United and Prather (released) mutually agreeing to terminate the second season of his contract. Coach Dean Vickerman added Jack White (via Duke University), Japanese guard Yudai Baba (via Texas Legends) and Scotty Hopson (via Europe), while captain Chris Goulding re-signed on a three-year deal, David Barlow on a one-year deal, Mason Peatling on a three-year deal and Sam McDaniel on a one-year deal. Jock Landale (via Žalgiris) completed the roster on a one-year deal after his planned NBA move did not eventuate and Melbourne negotiated a buyout of his remaining Lithuanian contract.

Baba joined Melbourne in July on a one-year NBL Special Restricted Player contract, which classified him as a local player, after spending the previous season with the Texas Legends in the NBA G-League. Melbourne’s first Asian player, Baba viewed the move to Australia as another step towards his goal of reaching the NBA. “I wanted to play in a high level league and I wanted to improve my English, so that’s why I chose this league.” said Baba.

Baba made his NBL debut at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on January 15, finishing with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal as Melbourne defeated Adelaide 89-65. Lual-Acuil (16 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Goulding (16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led United, while Johnson (27 points and 5 rebounds) was Adelaide’s best.

Baba (7.8 points across 36 games) quickly became an important part of Melbourne’s perimeter defence, using his speed and defensive pressure whether starting or coming off the bench, while finishing the season with 31 steals and 9 blocks.

One of Baba’s breakout games came against Perth in Bendigo on February 7, where he finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while spending significant time defending league MVP Bryce Cotton. Landale (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) helped United overcome a 10-point third-quarter deficit to win 75-71 and remain undefeated, while Cotton (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led Perth.

Baba’s best scoring game came against Cairns in the NBL Cup at John Cain Arena on February 22, where he shot 6-8 from the field and finished with a season-high 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. With Melbourne trailing for the majority of the game, Baba scored 10 consecutive United points late while defending Scott Machado as Melbourne finished strongly to win 88-81. Landale (18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks) and McCarron (17 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) helped Melbourne improve to 7-1, while Noi (27 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Cairns.

Baba with the alley ?‍??
Jock with the OOP ?#NBLCup #NBL21 pic.twitter.com/7sGf7GAwhe

— The NBL (@NBL) February 22, 2021

Baba suffered a corked calf against Adelaide on February 25 and faced a fitness test ahead of Melbourne’s next game, but passed it and played against Sydney two days later, meaning the injury did not cost him a game. An illness ruled Baba out against Illawarra on March 13. He was later sidelined for Melbourne’s May 16 and May 18 games, although no specific diagnosis was given in the available official reports. The box scores also show Baba did not play against Sydney on May 29, Cairns on May 31 or Adelaide on June 6, with no confirmed injury reason given for those late-season absences. He returned between those games to play against Brisbane on May 24 and Perth on June 4 and was available for every playoff game.

Landale (16.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 41 games) led Melbourne in scoring and earned All-NBL First Team honours, while Goulding (15.7 points across 36 games) remained the team’s leading perimeter threat despite missing six games with a low-grade calf strain. Hopson (11.9 points and 3.5 rebounds across 34 games), McCarron (9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals across 42 games), Lual-Acuil (9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 41 games), White (9.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks across 11 games), Ili (6.6 points across 34 games) and Peatling (5.9 points and 4 rebounds across 39 games) gave Melbourne one of the league’s deepest rotations. White suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Cairns in April and required around 12 months rehabilitation, leading Melbourne to sign former United big man David Andersen as an injury replacement player. Lual-Acuil was named the NBL’s Best Sixth Man, while Goulding and McCarron were selected to the All-NBL Second Team. Baba was named Melbourne United’s Defensive Player of the Year and also won the SHARE Award, voted on by the playing group after each game, as Melbourne finished first with a 28-8 record.

Victorian rivals South East Melbourne awaited in the semifinals, with Victoria’s COVID lockdown forcing all three games to be played without crowds at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. Melbourne opened the series with a 96-78 win as Landale (26 points) and Hopson (22 points) led United, while Baba (0 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) contributed off the bench. Moore (17 points) and Creek (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led the Phoenix.

South East Melbourne responded in game two, defeating Melbourne 90-79 as Baba (9 points) provided scoring from the bench. Hopson (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Goulding (14 points and 3 rebounds) and Lual-Acuil (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks) led United, while Sykes (26 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals), Creek (26 points and 4 rebounds) and Wetzell (20 points and 8 rebounds) helped the Phoenix force a deciding game three.

Melbourne fell behind 32-15 early in the second quarter of game three before its defence locked in, holding South East Melbourne to 42 points the rest of the night while scoring 69 themselves. Landale (27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) equalled his season-high while shooting 11-13 from the floor and 3/3 from beyond the arc, with Goulding (14 points and 2 steals), McCarron (11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Baba (4 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal) helping United win 84-74 and advance to the Grand Final. Te Rangi (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals), Creek (19 points) and Sykes (15 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Phoenix.

Western Australia’s border restrictions meant Perth hosted the opening two games of the Grand Final at RAC Arena despite Melbourne holding home-court advantage, while the Wildcats entered the series without injured league MVP Cotton (23.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals across 32 games). Melbourne survived a late Perth comeback to win game one 73-70 as Goulding (23 points and 2 steals), Landale (17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and Lual-Acuil (10 points and 7 rebounds) led United, while Baba (0 points, 1 assist, and 1 block) played 11 minutes. Blanchfield (27 points and 7 rebounds) and Kevin White (10 points and 5 rebounds) led Perth.

Game two remained at RAC Arena, where Baba (15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) produced one of his biggest performances of the season and joined Goulding (21 points) and Landale (12 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists) in helping Melbourne defeat Perth 83-74 and take a 2-0 series lead. Mooney (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists), Blanchfield (13 points and 8 rebounds), Norton (12 points) and Kevin White (12 points) led Perth.

Melbourne returned home for game three in front of a sold-out crowd capped at 5,000 under COVID restrictions at John Cain Arena. Landale (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks), Goulding (14 points and 4 rebounds), Hopson (12 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Peatling (12 points) and Baba (11 points and 2 rebounds) helped United hold off Perth 81-76 to complete the 3-0 sweep, while Mooney (14 points and 13 rebounds), Kevin White (14 points) and Blanchfield (11 points and 11 rebounds) led the Wildcats. Melbourne claimed the franchise’s sixth championship and its second under the United branding, Landale was named Finals MVP and Baba threw down the final two-handed dunk in the closing seconds.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2021/22
After winning the 2021 championship, Melbourne entered the new season without leading scorer Jock Landale (to San Antonio), starting point guard Mitch McCarron (to Adelaide) and import Scotty Hopson. Dean Vickerman retained Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, David Barlow and Shea Ili, welcomed Jack White back after recovering from a ruptured Achilles and added Matthew Dellavedova (via Cleveland), Brad Newley (via Sydney), Dion Prewster (via Wellington), Caleb Agada (via Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Callum Dalton (via Brisbane) and Next Star Ariel Hukporti (via Nevėžis).

Melbourne recovered from its 0-2 start by winning three consecutive games to close December, went 5-1 during a January played entirely away from home and won four of five games in February to sit first with a 12-4 record. After Dalton suffered a season-ending ACL tear during training, Melbourne brought Yudai Baba (via Texas Legends) back on March 23 for the remainder of NBL22, giving United protection against further injuries and COVID absences. Baba had helped Melbourne win the previous championship before playing for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics and averaging 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in the G League.