Ben Purser


Ben Purser is an Australian basketball player for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the State Basketball League competing in the West Coast Classic. A former Perth Wildcats development player, Purser debuted for the Hawks in the SBL in 2008 and played a season of college basketball in the United States for Augusta State University in 2010/11. He joined the Wildcats as a development player in 2011, where he appeared in 24 NBL games over two seasons with the team.
In the SBL, Purser has helped the Hawks reach three grand finals while winning one championship. After runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011, Purser led the Hawks to victory in 2018 behind a grand final MVP performance. He is also a four-time SBL All-Defensive Five honouree, a one-time All-Star Five recipient, and in 2009 he won the Most Improved Player award.

Early life and junior career

Purser attended Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Western Australia, where he played basketball and football and served as School Captain. He graduated in 2007 and is now a member of the school's Old Boys' Association.
As a junior, Purser played for Subiaco Basketball Club and represented the Perry Lakes Hawks in the Western Australian Basketball League. He also represented Western Australia at three Australian Junior Championships, winning silver at the 2007 Under 18 National Championships in Launceston and bronze at the 2008 Under 20 National Championships in Albury. At the 2009 Under 20 National Championships in Townsville, WA finished fourth. In six games at the 2009 tournament, Purser averaged 13.5 points per game.
In June 2009, Purser travelled with an Australian Under 20 national side to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, to compete in the FIBA Oceania Basketball Tournament. In the squad was future NBA player Cameron Bairstow. They played against national men's teams from the host nation, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Guam, going undefeated in the tournament to win the gold medal. A highlight for Purser was scoring 13 points in a 107–41 win over Northern Mariana Islands.

SBL career

Perry Lakes Hawks (2008–present)

Quick improver and grand final losses (2008–11)

Purser made his debut for the Perry Lakes Hawks in the State Basketball League in the 2008 season. The Hawks were crowned minor premiers in 2008 with a first-place finish and a 21–5 record. They faced the eighth-seeded Willetton Tigers in the quarter-finals, but without their first and third highest scorers playing, the Hawks were defeated 2–1. After averaging 7.3 points per game during the regular season, Purser was required to step up in the quarter-finals, as he scored 43 points over the three games, including a 21-point effort in a 94–89 series-levelling win in game two. He appeared in 28 of the Hawks' 29 games, averaging 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20 minutes per game. Purser also played WABL during the 2008 season, earning Men's Division 1 All Star honours and leading the Hawks to victory in the Division 1 Grand Final.
Purser improved in 2009, recording his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists against the Perth Redbacks on 4 April, and scoring a season-high 28 points against the Mandurah Magic on 16 May. The Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place with a 17–9 record and advanced through the first two rounds of the finals undefeated to reach the SBL Grand Final. In the championship decider on 22 August, the Hawks were defeated 85–77 by the Lakeside Lightning. Purser averaged 19.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists over the first two rounds of the finals, but recorded just eight points, two assists, one rebound and one steal in the grand final, while fouling out late in the match with his sixth personal foul. At Basketball WA's end-of-season awards night, Purser was named the SBL's Most Improved Player. He appeared in 28 of the team's 31 games in 2009, averaging 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Purser continued to show improvement in 2010, scoring in double figures in all but one game and recording seven double-doubles. On 20 March, he tied his career high of 28 points against the Cockburn Cougars. The Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place with a 15–11 record and faced the third-seeded Geraldton Buccaneers in the quarter-finals. The Hawks dropped game one of the series with Purser scoring a season-low seven points, before going on to lose game two as well despite Purser's team-high 22 points. He appeared in 26 of the team's 28 games in 2010, averaging 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Due to his college stint in the United States, Purser did not re-join the Hawks until May 2011, as he subsequently missed the first nine games of the 2011 season. He scored in double figures in all but one game for the second straight year and recorded five double-doubles. On 6 June, he had a season-best game with 16 points, a career-high 21 rebounds, and seven assists in a 94–85 win over the Goldfields Giants. He was subsequently named Player of the Week for Round 12. He later had back-to-back games with 28 points on 10 July and 16 July. The Hawks finished the regular season in fourth place with a 17–9 record, going on to beat the Stirling Senators 2–0 in the quarter-finals before defeating the first-seeded Lakeside Lightning 2–1 in the semi-finals. They subsequently reached SBL Grand Final for the second time in three years. In the championship decider on 27 August, the Hawks were defeated 88–83 by the Wanneroo Wolves despite 18 points from Purser. In 22 games, he averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

Early years as captain and missed finals (2012–14)

In the lead-up to the 2012 season, Purser was named team captain. He missed seven games in his first year as captain, as the Hawks missed the finals for the first time since 1992 with a 10th-place finish and an 11–15 record. He set a career high for double-doubles in a season with nine, and on 26 May, he scored a then career-high 32 points in a 95–90 win over the Willetton Tigers. He finished with averages of 17.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Purser helped the Hawks return to championship contenders in 2013, as they finished second with an 18–8 record before reaching the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Hawks were defeated 2–0 by the Wanneroo Wolves despite 28 points from Purser in game two. During the season, Purser had six double-doubles and three 30+ point games, including a career-high 34 points in a 104–97 win over the Perth Redbacks on 26 July. He appeared in 29 of the Hawks' 31 games, averaging 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
In 2014, Purser demonstrated all-rounder qualities as he took on much of the point guard duties. He scored in double figures in all but one game and recorded seven double-doubles. On 23 May, he recorded his second career triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 138–134 double-overtime win over the Stirling Senators. On 21 June, he scored a season-high 31 points against the Wolves. For the second time in three years, the Hawks finished the regular season in 10th place with an 11–15 record. Purser appeared in all 26 games for the Hawks in 2014, averaging a career-high 20.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. At the season's end, Purser played for the North All-Stars in the first North v South SBL All-Star game in over a decade.

All-Defensive pedigree and quarter-final losses (2015–17)

In 2015, Purser helped the Hawks return to the finals following a successful second half of the season where they won nine of their final 13 games. They finished in eighth place with a 12–14 record, losing in the quarter-finals 2–1 to the Joondalup Wolves after a close series. On 4 July, in his 200th SBL game, Purser had a season-best outing with 29 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 104–102 overtime win over the Goldfields Giants in Kalgoorlie. He appeared in all 29 games for the Hawks in 2015, averaging 18.1 points, a career-high 9.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Throughout the season, he recorded a career-high 12 double-doubles.
In 2016, Purser participated in the SBL All-Star Game and was named in the inaugural SBL All-Defensive Five team. On 7 May, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 92–91 loss to the Willetton Tigers. In the Hawks' regular-season finale on 29 July, he scored 24 points and grabbed a career high-tying 21 rebounds in a 102–96 win over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. The Hawks finished in eighth place with an 11–15 record and faced the first-seeded Cockburn Cougars in the quarter-finals, where they were defeated 2–1. Purser once again appeared in all 29 games, averaging 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Throughout the season, he recorded 10 double-doubles.
In 2017, for the second year in a row, Purser participated in the SBL All-Star Game and earned SBL All-Defensive Five honours. A leader of his quality, character, production and work ethic impressed what was a new-look Hawks coaching staff. On 10 June, in his 250th SBL game, Purser scored a team-high 22 points in a 74–69 loss to the Goldfields Giants in Kalgoorlie. On 8 July, he participated in the first ever SBL match played in Northam, recording 17 points and eight rebounds in the Hawks' 97–76 win over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. The Hawks finished the regular season in eighth place with a 12–14 record, and faced the first-seeded Willetton Tigers in the quarter-finals. In game one of the series, Purser had 17 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in helping the Hawks claim an unexpected 90–80 win. However, the Hawks went on to lose the series 2–1 to bow out of the quarter-finals for the third straight season. In 27 games, Purser averaged 14.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Maiden championship and grand final MVP (2018)

In 2018, Purser was again at his best defensively and was able to play the majority of the time at small forward. The Hawks started the season with a 6–8 record, before going on a 12-game winning streak to finish in fourth place with an 18–8 record. He helped the Hawks reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2013 after defeating the Lakeside Lightning 2–1 in the quarter-finals. After losing game one of their semi-finals series to the Rockingham Flames at home, Purser helped the Hawks avoid eliminated with a season-high 29 points in game two in Rockingham. With a 102–96 win in game three at home, the Hawks advanced to their first SBL Grand Final since 2011. In the championship decider, Purser led the Hawks to a 94–87 victory over the Joondalup Wolves to win his first championship, with the Hawks winning the title for the first time since 2004. In a Grand Final MVP performance, he recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high eight assists. To conclude the season, Purser was named in the All-Defensive Team for the third straight year and earned All-Star Five honours for the first time. He appeared in all 33 games for the Hawks in 2018, averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

2019 season

On 5 April 2019, Purser recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 120–73 win over the Mandurah Magic. On 30 June, he scored a season-high 24 points against the East Perth Eagles. In July, he became the team's all-time leader in games played with 318. He helped the Hawks finish the regular season in fifth place with an 18–8 record, before reaching the semi-finals, where they lost 2–0 to the Joondalup Wolves. Purser appeared in all 30 games for the Hawks in 2019, averaging 14.57 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.63 assists per game. To conclude the season, he was named in the All-Defensive Team for the fourth straight year and finished fourth in SBL MVP voting.

2020 West Coast Classic

Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 SBL season was cancelled. Purser later joined the Hawks in July 2020 for the West Coast Classic.

College and NBL

Augusta State (2010–2011)

In August 2010, Purser left Perth for a basketball scholarship at Augusta State University in the United States. He transferred his two and a half years of Law/Commerce Studies at UWA to ASU, where he hoped to complete his studies while playing for the Jaguars men's basketball team. He entered the 2010/11 season classed as a sophomore transfer, and quickly impressed Jaguars' head coach Dip Metress. Purser eased his way further into the line-up as the season progressed, and topped off the season with a career-high 21 points on 3 January 2011 against North Georgia. He shot 5 for 6 from the field and 9 for 10 from the line against North Georgia. ASU matched a school record with 30 wins in 2010/11 and made its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, hosting the Southeast Regional for the fifth straight season. The Jags claimed their fourth Peach Belt Conference Championship in five years and won their second PBC Tournament title in three years. Purser appeared in 34 games for the Jaguars in 2010/11, making 11 starts and averaging 7.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.

Perth Wildcats (2011–2013)

While initially touted to return to Augusta State University for the 2011/12 season as late as 11 July 2011, Purser announced just three days later that he was likely staying in Perth due to academic reasons. In early August 2011, Purser formally parted ways with Augusta State after joining a shortlist of players fighting for the final spot on the Perth Wildcats' NBL roster.
On the shortlist included three members of the Wildcats' 2010/11 extended squad – Greg Hire, Tom Jervis and Everard Bartlett. Ultimately losing out to Hire, Purser was named a development player for the 2011/12 season. He appeared in 10 home games for the Wildcats during his first season, scoring a total of 20 points. Highlights for Purser included scoring 6 points in 5½ minutes against the New Zealand Breakers on 23 December 2011, and being nominated for the NBL's Round 23 Play of the Week for his athletic three-point play in the final period against the Cairns Taipans on 11 March 2012. He was subsequently nominated for the NBL Rookie of the Year Award, with the nomination list including himself, the eventual winner Anatoly Bose, and four others. The Wildcats finished the regular season in second place with a 19–9 record and took down the third-seeded Gold Coast Blaze 2–1 in the semi-finals, with Purser seeing game time in game three on 7 April 2012. The Wildcats went on to face the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL Grand Final series, where they were defeated 2–1.
Purser received more opportunities during his second season with the Wildcats. He appeared in 14 games in 2012/13, with five of those coming on the road travelling as a member of the 10-man squad as an injury replacement. On 22 November 2012, he played in the Wildcats' first ever win at Perth Arena. For the second year in a row, the Wildcats finished the regular season in second place behind the Breakers, this time with a 22–6 record. The Wildcats swept the Wollongong Hawks 2–0 in their semi-final series, with Purser seeing 26 seconds in game one on 28 March 2013 in Perth. The Wildcats went on to face the Breakers in the NBL Grand Final series, where they were defeated 2–0. For the season, Purser totalled 11 points in 14 games.
On 8 September 2013, Purser represented the Wildcats for the final time, in the team's 2013/14 preseason exhibition game against the SBL All-Stars.

3x3 career

In March 2018, Purser and his 3x3 team consisting of fellow SBL players competed in the 3x3 WA Big Hustle event and won $2,500 and a spot in the Pro Hustle. The following month, he made his professional 3x3 debut and helped the team reach the final of the Pro Hustle in Melbourne, where they lost 21–15 to a team consisting of NBL veterans Peter Crawford, Jeremy Kendle and Anthony Petrie.

Career statistics

†Denotes seasons in which Purser won an SBL championship

Correct as of the end of the 2019 SBL season

SBL

*SBL moved to 40-minute game in 2017, shifting from 48-minute game.

College

NBL

SBL career highs

Personal

Purser's father, Andrew, is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League for the Footscray Football Club from 1983 to 1987.
In February 2015, Purser started working as a law graduate at law firm Steinepreis Paganin. He was admitted as a lawyer in December of that year before being made an associate in 2018.