Angus John Brandt (born 26 October 1989[a]) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Veltex Shizuoka of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for Oregon State University before beginning his professional career with the Sydney Kings in 2014. After two seasons with the Kings, he joined the Perth Wildcats, where he won two NBL championships in three years. He has also had stints in Lithuania, New Zealand and Italy.

Angus Brandt
Brandt in March 2019
No. 26 – Veltex Shizuoka
PositionCentre
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1989-10-26) 26 October 1989 (age 35)[a]
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Listed height208 cm (6 ft 10 in)
Listed weight114 kg (251 lb)
Career information
High schoolBlaxland
(Blaxland, New South Wales)
Lake Forest Academy
(Lake Forest, Illinois)
CollegeOregon State (2009–2014)
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014Penrith Panthers
2014–2016Sydney Kings
2016Neptūnas Klaipėda
2016–2019Perth Wildcats
2018–2019Hawke's Bay Hawks
2019Wuhan Dangdai
2019–2020Pistoia Basket 2000
2020–2021Shiga Lakestars
2021–2023Kagawa Five Arrows
2023–2024Ibaraki Robots
2024Shinshu Brave Warriors
2024–presentVeltex Shizuoka
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Australia
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
FIBA Asia Cup
Gold medal – first place 2017 Lebanon

Early life

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Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Brandt grew up in the Blue Mountains region. Living in his hometown of Springwood, he attended Blaxland High School in Blaxland, where he graduated from in 2007.[8]

In 2008, Brandt moved to the United States to attend Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois for a prep season in 2008–09. In his one-season playing for Lake Forest, he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game for coach Matt Vaughn.[5]

College career

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As a freshman at Oregon State in 2009–10, Brandt played sparingly for a Beavers team that finished the season with a 14–18 record. In 26 games (two starts), he averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game.[5][9]

As a sophomore in 2010–11, Brandt earned first-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors, while also earning a bigger role on the team which led to higher production value. In 29 games (21 starts), he averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game.[5][9]

As a junior in 2011–12, Brandt led the team in three-point field goal percentage with 49.2 percent (29-for-59), finished ninth in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage with 53.5 percent (122-for-228), and earned Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention honors. In 36 games (35 starts), he averaged 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 23.2 minutes per game.[5][9]

On 16 November 2012, Brandt suffered an isolated tear of the ACL in his right knee against Purdue that required surgery and forced him to miss the remainder of the 2012–13 season.[10] He was later granted medical hardship by the Pac-12 Faculty Athletics Representative Committee and deemed eligible to play in 2013–14. In four games (all starts), he averaged 11.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. He was again named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention team.[5][9]

As a redshirted senior in 2013–14, Brandt finished 11th in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage with 51.1 percent (138-for-265), and earned second-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors. On 18 December 2013, he recorded a career-high 27 points against Towson. In 30 games (all starts), he averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25.4 minutes per game.[5][9]

Professional career

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Sydney Kings (2014–2016)

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On 16 June 2014, Brandt signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League.[11] The following month, he joined the Penrith Panthers of the Waratah League in preparation for the 2014–15 NBL season. With the Panthers, he played alongside his brother, Louis.[12] In six games for the Panthers, he averaged 25.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[13]

A knee injury suffered on New Year's Eve saw Brandt miss seven matches during his rookie season with the Kings.[14][15] Despite this, he was named NBL Rookie of the Year for the 2014–15 season, averaging 7.4 points and four rebounds per game while shooting at nearly 50 per cent from the field over 21 games.[16] He went on to play all 28 games for the Kings in 2015–16, averaging 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

Lithuania (2016)

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On 23 February 2016, Brandt signed with Neptūnas Klaipėda of Lithuania for the rest of the 2015–16 LKL season.[17] He helped Neptūnas reach the LKL Finals, where they were defeated 4–1 in the best-of-seven series by Žalgiris.[18] In 21 games, Brandt averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Perth Wildcats and Hawke's Bay Hawks (2016–2019)

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Brandt in March 2017, after winning his first NBL championship

On 12 May 2016, Brandt signed a two-year deal with the Perth Wildcats.[19] His first season with the Wildcats saw him improve as the year went on, as he had a number of memorable performances as the Wildcats faced clutch games towards the end of the season.[20] On 20 January 2017, Brandt played a season-high 30 minutes off the bench and had season-best figures of 17 points and 11 rebounds in an 84–78 overtime win over the Cairns Taipans.[21] The Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with a 15–13 record, and went on to sweep the second-seeded Taipans in the semi-finals to make it through to the best-of-five NBL Grand Final series against the Illawarra Hawks. In game two of the series, Brandt stepped up to cover the loss of Matthew Knight, who suffered a head injury.[22] Brandt recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds to help the Wildcats take a 2–0 lead in the series.[23] The Wildcats took out the championship in game three with a 95–86 win, thus sweeping the series.[24] Brandt had six points, seven rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes off the bench in game three.[25] He appeared in all 33 games for the Wildcats in 2016–17, averaging 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. His development as the season went on saw him earn the Perth Wildcats Most Improved Player Award.[20]

On 17 July 2017, Brandt signed a two-year contract extension with the Wildcats.[20] Brandt turned the hook shot into his trademark during the 2017–18 season.[26] On 16 February 2018, in the Wildcats' second last game of the season, Brandt scored 24 points in a 97–85 loss to Melbourne United.[27][28] The Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with a 16–12 record before going on to lose 2–0 to the Adelaide 36ers in the semi-finals. Brandt appeared in all 30 games for the Wildcats in 2017–18, averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Following the conclusion of the Wildcats' season, Brandt joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks for the 2018 New Zealand NBL season.[29][30][31] On 4 May, in just his third game of the season, Brandt scored a season-high 23 points to go with 14 rebounds in a 90–87 win over the Taranaki Mountainairs.[32] On 16 June, he recorded 22 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 93–84 win over the Super City Rangers.[33] On 27 July, he had a second 17-rebound effort to go with 14 points against the Canterbury Rams.[34] He helped the Hawks finish the regular season in fourth place with a 12–6 record. In their semi-final against the Wellington Saints, Brandt scored 16 points in a 99–73 loss.[35] In 17 games, he averaged 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.[34] He was subsequently named to the NZNBL All-Star Five.[36]

On 19 September 2018, Brandt was ruled out for three to six weeks with an ankle injury he suffered while playing for the Australian Boomers.[37] He subsequently missed the NBL Blitz and NBA pre-season games.[38] On 27 October 2018, Brandt recorded 14 points and 20 rebounds (12 of them offensive[39]) in a 101–96 double-overtime win over Melbourne United,[40] becoming the first Wildcat with 20+ rebounds in 12 years.[41][non-primary source needed] On 10 February 2019, he recorded 19 points and nine rebounds in a 95–86 overtime win over the Sydney Kings.[42] He helped the Wildcats win the minor premiership with a first-place finish and an 18–10 record, before going on to advance through to the NBL Grand Final series, where they defeated Melbourne 3–1, with Brandt becoming a two-time champion.[43][44] In 31 games, he averaged 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

On 29 March 2019, Brandt parted ways with the Wildcats after opting to exercise the European out-clause in his contract.[45][46]

On 26 April 2019, Brandt returned to the Hawke's Bay Hawks, signing as a short-term injury replacement for Daniel Kickert.[47] He appeared in two games for the Hawks.[48]

China (2019)

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In June 2019, Brandt joined Wuhan Dangdai of the Chinese NBL.[49] In 13 games, he averaged 20.3 points, 15.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Italy (2019–2020)

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On 20 July 2019, Brandt signed with Italian team Pistoia Basket 2000.[50] The 2019–20 LBA season was cancelled in February 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.[51] In 19 games, he averaged 11.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Japan (2020–present)

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On 17 August 2020, Brandt signed with the Shiga Lakestars of the Japanese B.League.[52] In 56 games, he averaged 11.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

On 25 June 2021, Brandt signed with the Kagawa Five Arrows, returning to the B.League for a second stint.[53]

On 8 June 2022, Brandt re-signed with the Five Arrows for the 2022–23 season.[54]

On 11 September 2023, Brandt signed with the Ibaraki Robots for the 2023–24 season.[55] He parted ways with the team on 9 January 2024.[56] Three days later, he signed with the Shinshu Brave Warriors for the rest of the season.[57]

On 21 June 2024, Brandt signed with the Veltex Shizuoka.[58]

National team career

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In 2011, Brandt was part of the Australian University national team that played at the 26th World University Games in Shenzhen, China.[5] In 2014, he was part of the Boomers team that played in the four-game Sino-Australia Challenge series.[59]

In June 2017, Brandt was named in a 20-man Boomers squad ahead of the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.[60] A month later, he was named in the final 12-man squad.[61] On 24 October 2017, he was named in the 12-man Boomers squad to compete in the first two games of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in November.[62]

In February 2022, Brandt was named in a 17-man Australian Boomers squad ahead of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Japan.[63] He re-joined the team later that year for the next qualifying window.[64]

Personal life

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Brandt is the son of John and Lorraine Brandt, and has two brothers, Seamus and Louis.[5]

Brandt and his wife Meg have a son.[65]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Some sources list him as being born on 26 October 1989,[1][2][3][4] while others state he was born on 28 October 1989.[5][6][7]

References

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  1. ^ "Angus Brandt – Perth Wildcats". Wildcats.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Angus Brandt". NBL.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Basketball | Athlete Profile: Angus Brandt". gc2018.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Angus Brandt". australia.basketball. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "#12 Angus Brandt". osubeavers.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Angus Brandt Stats, Bio". ESPN. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Angus Brandt – Official Website of the Sydney Kings". SydneyKings.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016.
  8. ^ Desiatnik, Shane (12 November 2013). "Angus Brandt bounces back from injury". BlueMountainsGazette.com. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Angus Brandt Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  10. ^ "OSU basketball: Angus Brandt, teammates deal with ACL injury". The Oregonian. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  11. ^ "STAR AUSTRALIAN JOINS THE SYDNEY KINGS". SydneyKings.com. NBL.com.au. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  12. ^ Tarbert, Kristine (15 August 2014). "Penrith Panthers miss out on playoffs in Waratah Championship Basketball League". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Player statistics for Angus Brandt". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  14. ^ "Injury update". SydneyKings.com. NBL.com.au. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  15. ^ "R15: Injury Update". NBL.com.au. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  16. ^ "NBL Awards: Rookie of the Year". NBL.com.au. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  17. ^ "SU "NEPTŪNU" ATSISVEIKINO GILVYDAS BIRUTA IR ATVYKSTA AUSTRALAS". bcneptunas.lt (in Lithuanian). 23 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  18. ^ "WILDCATS OFF-SEASON WRAP – 7 JUNE 2016". Wildcats.com.au. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
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  26. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (4 January 2018). "Angus Brandt is all good with being benched at the Perth Wildcats". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  27. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (16 February 2018). "Casey Prather's return helps Melbourne United sink Perth Wildcats 97–85". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Prather's Back and United roll over 'Cats". NBL.com.au. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  29. ^ NZhoops (2 February 2018). "The Bay Hawks have signed Australian big..." Retrieved 3 February 2018 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Singh, Anendra (3 February 2018). "Basketball: Hawks coach to play Angus Brandt, Kareem Johnson separately". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  31. ^ Singh, Anendra (3 February 2018). "Basketball: Boomer and Perth Wildcat centre Angus Brandt to roost with Hawks in NZ NBL this season". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  32. ^ Singh, Anendra (4 May 2018). "Basketball: Hawks edge Taranaki Mountainairs to keep intact unbeaten record". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  33. ^ "SAINTS AND HAWKS CLAIM WINS". nznbl.basketball. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  34. ^ a b "Player statistics for Angus Brandt – NZNBL 2018". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  35. ^ "DEFENDING CHAMPION SAINTS GO TO THE DECIDER FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT TIME". nznbl.basketball. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  36. ^ "ILI CLAIMS MVP, DELANY FORWARD OF THE YEAR". nznbl.basketball. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  37. ^ "Angus Brandt injury update". Wildcats.com.au. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  38. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (9 October 2018). "Perth Wildcats big man Angus Brandt feels good to go for NBL opener after US session". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  39. ^ "Wildcats vs United". FIBALiveStats.com. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  40. ^ "Wildcats Knock Off Champs in Double OT". NBL.com.au. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  41. ^ Perth Wildcats (27 October 2018). "Angus Brandt out here making history..." Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ "Cotton Explodes in OT as 'Cats Beat Kings". NBL.com.au. 10 February 2019. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  43. ^ "Wildcats Clinch Ninth Championship on the Road". NBL.com.au. 17 March 2019. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Wildcats claim Ninth Championship!". Wildcats.com.au. 17 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  45. ^ "Wildcats farewell Angus Brandt". Wildcats.com.au. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  46. ^ "Star Wildcats centre Angus Brandt to depart Perth". TheWest.com.au. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  47. ^ "STAR SIGNING – HAWKS WELCOME BACK ANGUS BRANDT". nznbl.basketball. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  48. ^ "Player statistics for Angus Brandt – NZNBL 2019". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  49. ^ "Anhui W. defeats Shaanxi X. in the game between Top 4 teams". asia-basket.com. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  50. ^ "Angus Brandt è un nuovo giocatore della OriOra". pistoiabasket2000.com (in Italian). 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  51. ^ "Angus Brandt: Coronavirus, Italy and I". NBL.com.au. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  52. ^ "アンガス・ブラント選手契約(新規)基本合意のお知らせ". lakestars.net (in Japanese). 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  53. ^ "2021-22シーズン 選手契約(新規)のお知らせ". fivearrows.jp (in Japanese). 25 June 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  54. ^ "2022-23シーズン 選手契約締結(継続)のお知らせ". fivearrows.jp (in Japanese). 8 June 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  55. ^ "#9 アンガス・ブラント選手 契約合意(新規)のご報告". ibarakirobots.win (in Japanese). 11 September 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  56. ^ "#9 アンガス・ブラント選手 退団のご報告". ibarakirobots.win (in Japanese). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  57. ^ "アンガス・ブラント選手契約(新規)基本合意のお知らせ". b-warriors.net (in Japanese). 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  58. ^ "2024ー25シーズン #26 アンガス・ブラント 選手契約合意(新規)のお知らせ". veltex.co.jp. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  59. ^ "WA STARS LEAD BOOMERS TEAM FOR SINO-AUSTRALIA CHALLENGE". Basketball.net.au. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  60. ^ "HELLOWORLD TRAVEL BOOMERS SQUAD INVITED TO FIBA ASIA CUP CAMP". Basketball.net.au. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  61. ^ "BOOMERS NAME FINAL TEAM FOR FIBA ASIA CUP". NBL.com.au. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  62. ^ "Boomers name squad for FIBA World Cup Qualifiers". NBL.com.au. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  63. ^ "Emerging NBL Players Named in Boomers Squad". NBL.com.au. 2 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022.
  64. ^ "Boomers Team Announced for Fourth Window of FIBA World Cup Qualifiers". australia.basketball. 11 August 2022. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022.
  65. ^ Hersz, Tom (26 April 2023). "Home Is Where the Heartland Is". NBL.com.au. Retrieved 26 April 2023. Having him, his wife Meg and his little boy Archie was a godsend.
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