Bennie Lewis
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bennie Lewis III (born June 29, 1987) is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the
Waverley Falcons Waverley Falcons is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Waverley Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in t ...
of the NBL1 South. He played college basketball for Benedict College before beginning a successful four-year stint with the
Melbourne Tigers Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...
in 2009. He later played in the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
and the British Basketball League.


Early life and high school

Lewis was born in
Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
while his father, Bennie Lewis Jr., was playing in the National Basketball League for the North Melbourne Giants. He is the grandson of the legendary Illinois Hall of Fame basketball coach Bennie Lewis Sr., who coached the likes of
LaPhonso Ellis LaPhonso Darnell Ellis (born May 5, 1970) is an American retired basketball player. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets as the fifth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. Early career He was an outstanding high ...
,
Cuonzo Martin Cuonzo LaMar Martin (born September 23, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the former head coach of the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team. High school Playing alongside LaPhonso Ellis as a sophomore and junior, Ma ...
and
Darius Miles Darius LaVar Miles (born October 9, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The , forward was selected directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. He was a First ...
. Although born in Australia, Lewis was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to East St. Louis, Illinois the beginning of his junior year in high school. As a junior at
East St. Louis East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
in 2003–04, Lewis led the team in free throw percentage (81.3) while only committing 10 turnovers and 14 fouls in 27 games for the Flyers, averaging 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. As a senior in 2004–05, Lewis averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 27 games for the Flyers. He had a season-best game against Cahokia, recording 23 points and 8 rebounds. For his performance at the Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament, he earned All-Tournament Team honors.


College career

As a freshman at Benedict College in 2005–06, Lewis helped the Tigers go 22–7 on the season and helped them win the conference championship. They earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament where they were knocked out in the first round. In 29 games (7 starts), he averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game. As a sophomore in 2006–07, Lewis helped the Tigers go 25–5 on the season and helped them win the conference championship for a second straight year. They earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament where they were again knocked out in the first round. In 30 games (3 starts), he averaged 6.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. As a junior in 2007–08, Lewis earned second-team All- SIAC, Paine Classic Tournament MVP, and NCAA D2 South Region All-Tournament Team honors. He helped the Tigers go 28–5 on the season and helped them win the conference championship for a third straight year. The Tigers went on to win the SIAC Tournament and booked themselves a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament, making their way through to the third round. In 32 games (14 starts), he averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 29.6 minutes per game. As a senior in 2008–09, Lewis helped the Tigers go 24–6 on the season and helped them earn conference runners-up honors. They also earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament where they were knocked out in the first round for the third time in four years. In 30 games (16 starts), he averaged 11.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. Lewis finished his career having played in 121 games with 1,051 career points. He also recorded 173 career three-pointer, 369 career rebounds, and 128 career assists. As a junior and senior, he earned All-SIAC Academic Team honors, while also earning NABC Academic Honor Roll honors as a senior.


Professional career


Decatur Court Kings

After graduating from Benedict College, Lewis joined the Decatur Court Kings of the World Basketball Association (WBA). Over his three-month stint with the Kings, he led the team to the semi-finals and averaged over 20 points per game. He subsequently earned All-WBA First Team honors and was named the 2009 WBA Rookie of the Year.


Melbourne Tigers

In September 2009, Lewis signed with the
Melbourne Tigers Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...
as a development player for the
2009–10 NBL season The 2009–10 NBL season was the 32nd season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The 48-minute game switched to a 40-minute game. Preseason Pre-season training began for a majority of clu ...
. During the season, he shared court time with fellow rookie Ryan Bathie. He appeared in 13 games for the Tigers in 2009–10, averaging 1.4 points per game. Following the conclusion of the NBL season, Lewis joined the Tigers' junior affiliate team in the
Big V Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...
. In 20 games for the junior squad during the 2010 Big V season, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. On April 8, 2010, Lewis signed with the Melbourne Tigers on a full-time contract. He appeared in all 28 games for the Tigers in
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, averaging a serviceable 4.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He again played for the Tigers' junior squad during the 2011 Big V season, averaging 17.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 18 games. Lewis returned to the Melbourne Tigers for the
2011–12 NBL season The 2011–12 NBL season was the 34th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 7 October 2011 and 25 March 2012, followed by a post-season involving t ...
, and averaged 3.1 points in 26 games. For the 2012 Big V season, he joined the
Waverley Falcons Waverley Falcons is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Waverley Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in t ...
and attempted to guide the team to a third-straight championship. He was unsuccessful in doing so, but still had a solid season for the Falcons as he averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in 20 games. Lewis continued on with the Tigers during the
2012–13 NBL season The 2012–13 NBL season was the 35th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 5 October 2012 and 24 March 2013, followed by a post-season which invo ...
, and on December 22, he won the 2012 All-Star Slam Dunk Competition. In 27 games for the Tigers in 2012–13, he averaged 3.7 points and 1.0 rebounds per game.


Perth Redbacks

On April 4, 2013, Lewis signed with the
Perth Redbacks Perth Redbacks is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Perth Basketball Association (PBA), the major administrative basketball organisation ...
for the rest of the 2013 State Basketball League season. In 25 games for the Redbacks, he averaged 22.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.


Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Geraldton Buccaneers

On December 5, 2013, Lewis was acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. He made his debut for the Mad Ants two days later, scoring nine points in 21 minutes off the bench against the Sioux Falls Skyforce. On December 15, he scored a season-high 19 points in the Mad Ants' 108–100 win over the Delaware 87ers. On February 17, 2014, he was waived by the Mad Ants. In 11 games for Fort Wayne in 2013–14, he averaged 7.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Following his release from the Mad Ants, Lewis returned to Western Australia and joined the
Geraldton Buccaneers The Geraldton Buccaneers, also known as the Buccs, are an Australian basketball team based in Geraldton, Western Australia. The Buccaneers compete in the Men's NBL1 West and play their home games at Activewest Stadium. The team is affiliated with ...
for the 2014 State Basketball League season. He made his debut for the Buccaneers in the team's season opener, and went on to lead his team to the minor premiership with a 19–7 record. The Buccaneers reached the SBL Grand Final, where they lost to the
East Perth Eagles East Perth Eagles is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of East Perth District Basketball Association (EPDBA), the major administrative baske ...
. Lewis appeared in all 31 games for the Buccaneers in 2014, averaging 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. In October 2014, Lewis participated in Mad Ants' try-outs and earned himself a spot on the 2014–15 season roster. However, his second stint with the team lasted just three games, as he was waived by the Mad Ants on November 28. Lewis subsequently returned to Geraldton and re-joined the Buccaneers for the 2015 season. He was selected to play in the 2015 SBL All-Star Game for the North Stars, scoring a team-high 19 points in a 143–135 loss to the South Stars. The Buccs finished in second place in 2015 with a 20–6 record, but were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the Goldfields Giants. Lewis earned SBL All-Star Five honors, and in 28 games on the season, he averaged 29.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.


Plymouth Raiders

On May 8, 2015, Lewis signed with the Plymouth Raiders for the
2015–16 British Basketball League season The 2015–16 BBL season was the 29th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland. Teams Championship Regular season Standings Playoffs ...
. He played in the Raiders' first two games of the season before travelling to Fort Wayne in mid-October to try out for the Mad Ants again. Upon completing the try-outs, he returned to Plymouth after missing two straight games. He appeared in Plymouth's October 30 match-up against the Leicester Riders before departing the team for good and joining the Mad Ants on November 2 for the start of training camp. However, he was waived by the Mad Ants on November 11 prior to the start of the regular season.


Frankston Blues

On December 10, 2015, Lewis signed with the Frankston Blues for the 2016
SEABL The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was an Australian semi-professional basketball league. The league comprised both a men's and women's competition and was run by the country's governing body, Basketball Australia. The league wa ...
season. He made his debut for the Blues in the team's season opener on April 3, scoring 15 points in 38 minutes of action as a starter in an 81–76 win over the Albury Wodonga Bandits. In the team's second game of the season on April 9, he recorded team highs of 24 points and 9 rebounds in an 84–72 loss to the Kilsyth Cobras. On April 29, Lewis scored a game-high 20 points in an 85–55 loss to the
Hobart Chargers Hobart Chargers is a NBL1 South club based in Hobart, Tasmania. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The Chargers play their home games at the Derwent Entertainment Centre and Kingborough Sports Centre. Club history Ear ...
. On June 18, he scored a season-high 29 points in a 92–88 win over the Bandits. On June 26, he set a new season high with 31 points in an 81–75 loss to the Chargers. He surpassed that mark on July 10, scoring 35 points on 15-of-26 shooting from the field (with only one made three-pointer) in a 108–97 loss to the Ballarat Miners. The Blues finished last out of eight teams in the SEABL South Conference (third last overall) with a 6–18 record. Lewis appeared in all 24 games for the Blues, averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.


Melbourne United

On October 7, 2016, Lewis joined Melbourne United as a short-term injury replacement for David Barlow. He made his debut for United on November 4, missing his only three-point attempt in just under three minutes off the bench in a 98–92 loss to the New Zealand Breakers. Two days later, he recorded three points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in just under seven minutes off the bench in an 82–73 loss to the Illawarra Hawks. With Barlow's return to the squad in mid-November, Lewis was removed from United's active roster. On January 12, 2017, he was elevated to the active roster following a number of injuries to key players. That night, he scored three points in five minutes against the Adelaide 36ers.


Return to Frankston

On February 6, 2017, Lewis re-signed with the Frankston Blues on a two-year deal. In Frankston's season opener on March 25, 2017, Lewis scored 16 points in a 77–67 loss to the Kilsyth Cobras. On April 29, he scored a season-high 25 points in an 87–84 win over the
NW Tasmania Thunder The North-West Tasmania Thunder are an Australian basketball team based in Ulverstone, Tasmania. The Thunder compete in the Men's NBL1 South and play their home games at Ulverstone Sports & Leisure Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known a ...
. On July 14, he set a new season high with 28 points in a 102–95 overtime win over the Bendigo Braves. The Blues finished last out of seven teams in the SEABL South Conference with a 7–17 record. Lewis appeared in all 24 games for the Blues, averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. In Frankston's 2018 season opener on April 7, Lewis played all 40 minutes and scored a game-high 29 points in an 82–72 loss to the Albury Wodonga Bandits. On June 30, he recorded 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench in a 101–75 win over the Bandits. The Blues finished the season second from the bottom with a 4–16 record. In 18 games, Lewis averaged 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.


Return to Waverley

On December 20, 2018, Lewis signed with the
Waverley Falcons Waverley Falcons is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Waverley Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in t ...
of the newly-established
NBL1 NBL1 is a semi-professional basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Australia, consisting of NBL1 South, South, NBL1 North, North, NBL1 Central, Central, NBL1 West, West and NBL1 East, East Conferences with both men's and women's compet ...
competition for the 2019 season, returning to the team for a second stint. In 20 games, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. On October 29, 2019, Lewis re-signed with the Falcons on a two-year deal. However, he did not play in 2020 after the NBL1 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He renewed his two-year contract with the Falcons in March 2021 ahead of the NBL1 South season. In March 2023, Lewis re-signed with the Falcons for the 2023 NBL1 South season.


Personal

Lewis' father, Bennie Jr., played 10 seasons in the NBL between 1981 and 1990.


References


External links

* *
High school and college bioNBA D-League profileBBL stats
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Bennie 1987 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in the United Kingdom American men's basketball players Basketball players from Fort Wayne, Indiana Benedict Tigers men's basketball players Fort Wayne Mad Ants players Melbourne Tigers players Melbourne United players Shooting guards Small forwards Basketball players from Melbourne