Talent gets even better in part two of QLD’s best state league players since 1990
The talent is rising in the second part of our list of the top 30 Queensland state league basketball players since 1990 is here as we close in on who will be the best ever. SEE WHO MADE THE LIST.
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IF YOU thought there was some talent in our first part of the Queensland top 30 state league players from the past 30 years – you will be even more impressed with this group.
We have NBL stars, Olympians, US imports who dazzled with high-flying dunks during the 1990s and stalwarts who have become legends of the game in the state.
Our panel of experts including current Townsville Heat NBL1 North coach Rod Anderson, former player and general manager of Suncoast’s National Championship side in 1997 Bill Hooper as well as Basketball Queensland general manager of game development Warwick Cann have selected numbers 20-11 on the list.
WHO ARE QLD’S BEST EVER STATE LEAGUE BASKETBALL STARS?
QLD’S TOP STATE LEAGUE PLAYERS: PART 1
HERE ARE THE PLAYERS:
20. DAVID BLADES
An Australian point guard who established himself as a star in the early 1990s but would go on to have a successful career in both the Queensland state league and the NBL. Blades was the joint MVP, with Glenn Stump, in 1990 while playing for Toowoomba where he also helped lead the mountain men to back-to-back titles in 1990 and 1991. He is widely regarded as one of the best Australians to have played in the state league and also spent four NBL seasons with Townsville, even averaging more than 11 points per game in 1993. He would then go on to play several seasons with the Townsville Heat to end his career.
19. RHYS MARTIN
Somewhat of a basketball savant and with the talent to match, Rhys Martin would probably go down as one of the smartest players to come out of Queensland. In between a more than decade long NBL career, mostly with Illawarra, the point guard played also had a decorated career in the state league for his junior club the Southern Districts Spartans, Caloundra Suns, Rockhampton Rockets, Mackay Meteors and Gold Coast Rollers. Now 34, Martin won three QBL championships with Southern Districts in 2005, Rockhampton in 2008, which was backed up by also claiming the last ABA National Championship, as well as in 2011 with Mackay. He also helped lead the Gold Coast to the QBL grand final last season.
18. CHRIS CEDAR
One half of the famous Cedar brothers, Chris has been one of the best players in the league over the past decade. Having played 12 seasons in the league with Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay, Chris is known for his knack to make big plays at crucial moments and has been an elite scorer in the league, especially over the past five years. In 2014, he won his first QBL championship ring when Rockhampton swept his brother, Michael, and Mackay 2-0 in the grand final series. He then followed it up with his second straight title playing for Mackay in 2015. He averaged more than 19 points per game along with five assists and 4.6 rebounds that year. Playing for Mackay in the 2017 grand final series, Chris had the best game of his QBL career, scoring 50 points against the Heat in game three and although the Meteors lost the game and the series, fans were amazed by the talented guard’s performance. Chris also spent six seasons with the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL.
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17. RYAN STOLBERG
A double-double machine for more than a decade, Ryan Stolberg was not only among the best big man to play in Queensland but one of the best players, period. Stolberg dominated in his first four seasons in the state league, two with Ipswich (1995/96), Suncoast (1997) and Brisbane (1998). In those four years the hardworking power forward made the Queensland and Australian CBA All-Star Five, won MVP in Queensland in 1997 averaging close to 27 points and 15 rebounds per game and helped Suncoast upset the Cairns Marlins in the 1997 ABA National Championship final in Geelong. He also spent a few seasons with the Brisbane Bullets. After playing with Albury in 1999, Stolberg took a break from the game until he returned for his hometown Ipswich Force from 2007-2012, putting up big numbers until he retired at the age of 37.
16. AARON HONEYMAN
If you never got to see Aaron Honeyman play, you missed out. The little guard was one of the best scorers and playmakers seen in Queensland, especially for his size. Almost automatic from the perimeter, Honeyman helped the Southern Districts Spartans win their first championship in 1992 and backed it up again in 1995. Without the playmaking of Honeyman, the Spartans may have missed out on those titles in the early 1990s, where those teams helped the club become a powerhouse in the state league competition. Honeyman also spent four seasons with the Brisbane Bullets before the end of his career was riddled with shoulder injuries. However, Honeyman was a superstar of Queensland basketball, one of the most dominant Australians to play in the league and someone who definitely deserved to be highlighted in this list.
15. PETER CRAWFORD
Three state league championships, more than 15 years in the NBL and an Olympian – Peter Crawford has done it all and is still playing today. The athletic shooting guard/small forward first helped the Townsville Heat to a semi-final in 1998 before making his NBL debut with the Crocodiles at 19-years-old in 1999. A year later, he would help the Heat capture a state league title, which would be the first of three for the man known as ‘PC’. Having played for his hometown team until 2004, Crawford really made a name for himself in the NBL during his time with the Perth Wildcats from 2004-2009, winning the NBL’s Most Improved Player in 2005 before returning home for five more seasons with the Crocodiles and one with Adelaide. In between then, he represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics but he still had more to give later in his career, playing a huge role in Townsville’s back-to-back QBL championships in 2017 and 2018. He was also part of Townsville’s team last year, still averaging double digits and was ready to hit the court again for the inaugural season of NBL1 North.
14. MICHAEL CEDAR
The eldest Cedar brother, Michael has had a long and decorated career in Queensland basketball. The talented shooting guard played eight seasons with his hometown NBL team, the Townsville Crocodiles from 2006-2013, which included averaging double digits in scoring in the 2010/11 campaign. But on top of that, he has been a star in the Queensland state league since he made his debut. Having played for Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone and the Logan Thunder, Cedar has done everything there is to do in the league. His best season in the QBL came in 2012, where he led the Mackay Meteors to the championship and also won the league’s MVP award, something where he has bragging rights over his brother, although Chris has two championship rings. He also helped lead Gladstone to a semi-final appearance in 2015 and helped Logan become a competition heavyweight in recent years.
13. JOE HURST
Well, they don’t give you the name ‘Jumpin’ Joe Hurst for no reason. Joe Hurst was arguably the most exciting player to have ever played in the Queensland state league. If you were in the gym when Hurst was playing, it was a sure thing you would witness some thunderous dunks being thrown down. Even one of his opponents, former NBL player Rodger Smith, said they would have dunk competitions during games when they played against each other to see who could get the biggest dunk. But not only was he athletic, Hurst was just an incredibly talented player, helping the Southern Districts Spartans to the 1999 championship and etching his name in the minds of fans all around the state. Hurst also played in the NBL with the Hobart Devils, where he was the league MVP in 1988.
12. BEN CASTLE
The third of our lockdown defenders, after Brad Davidson and Rodger Smith, to be featured on the list, Ben Castle is probably the best defender to have ever played in the Queensland state league. With the versatility to be able to guard smaller and faster guards but also the talented US import swingmen who would come through the competition, Castle would always take on the toughest task at the defensive end of the floor. But he wasn’t one dimensional, he could also organise teams from the point guard position and knock down the three at a decent clip. In 1997, Castle, along with Ryan Stolberg and another player who will be featured later in the list, helped the Suncost Clippers claim the ABA National Championship in Geelong. Other than that, he also was a star with the Brisbane Capitals, where he won a championship under Rob Scheibner in 2002, where he scored 36 points in the final against Cairns. Castle also had a decorated NBL career with several teams including the Brisbane Bullets, Sydney Kings and Wollongong Hawks.
11. CHEHALES TAPSCOTT
He may have only played two years in the QBL but oh boy was he dominant. Chehales Tapscott took the league by storm in 2014, winning the QBL Most Valuable Player award while averaging astounding numbers at 30.2 points and more than 10 rebounds per game. It was also that year that Tapscott helped the Rockets sweep rivals, Mackay, 2-0 in the grand final series. Tapscott also claimed QBL Player of the Week honours three times during the season. He returned in 2015 and although the Rockets couldn’t repeat their championship success, Tapscott was just as dominant. Since then, the former Portland State University star has gone on to star in the Japanese leagues.
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