Profile Pic: Austin Wiley
He grew up in a basketball family, received a call from Mike Krzyzewski at just 16, and became a monstrous rebound machine. Here’s an introduction to the new center in red.
02/07/2024
| 15:35
| Magazine
The first signing of the summer - Austin Wiley - is an exciting development for those of us who love a big man with a presence in the paint, someone who can play effectively on both ends of the court, with great size, mobility, and athleticism. So, let’s dive deeper into getting to know the new center at the Arena - Austin Wiley.
Austin Jermaine Wiley, 25 years old, was born in Birmingham, Alabama, to a pair of basketball stars. His mother, Vickie-Or, was an outstanding player, represented the USA in the OlymPics, and is one of the best players in Auburn University history with two NCAA championships - a college that Austin himself would return to later. His father, Aubrey, was also a notable big man and, yes, he also attended Auburn University.
At just 16 years old, Austin was already considered a major prospect. Not every teenager gets calls from Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s coach, or Bill Self, the Kansas coach. Ultimately, Austin chose to follow in his parents' footsteps and study at Auburn, after impressive high school averages of 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. At Auburn, under the legendary coach Bruce Pearl, Wiley became an important player from his freshman season, averaging 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in less than 20 minutes per game. In his senior season, Wiley averaged nearly a double-double per game - 10.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
Austin's first stop in Europe was Ludwigsburg in Germany, but after just one game, he moved to Trier in the second division, where he demonstrated complete dominance from the start with 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game. The following season, in 2022, he moved to Nept?nas in Lithuania and maintained consistency with 10.9 points, 8.9 rebounds (leading rebounder in the league), and more than 2 blocks per game. This performance was enough for Tofa? in Turkey, which followed him closely. In the past season, Wiley had his best season yet: 15.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and an impressive 68% shooting from the field. As a result, Wiley was named the Turkish League MVP, made the All-Season team in the Basketball Champions League, and was the leading rebounder in both competitions.
How do you stop him? It’s not clear if it’s even possible.
So what kind of player is Austin Wiley? The first thing that stands out is of course his impressive size. Standing at 210 cm, weighing about 120 kg, and with a wingspan of 2.30 meters, he is a human blocking machine with career averages close to 2 blocks per game. He is a great finisher around the rim, doing so with exceptional percentages, and alongside a strong face-up game, he is also effective in the post.
As befits a player of his size and position, Wiley draws a lot of fouls. Last season in Turkey, he drew no less than 4.4 fouls per game. His seasonal high was 9 fouls per game, which happened against Fenerbahçe with the new Hapoel Tel Aviv acquisition, Jonathan Motley. Most of the fouls Wiley draws occur when he manages to get as close to the basket as possible, and in such a situation, the only way to stop him is by fouling, which often results in an "and-one." Wiley’s free throw percentage last season was 66.7%, a nice increase from 59% in college, 62% in Germany, and 57% in Lithuania.
Wiley's method of scoring is very diverse. 61.5% of the time he gets the ball with his back to the basket, he ends up scoring; in 53% of the cases when he rolls to the basket on a pick-and-roll, it also ends in a score; but note how many passive points Wiley helps his team create: 8.1 points per game that his teammates score after a screen from Wiley, making him an effective weapon even when he doesn’t have the ball and helping guards get better looks.
And defensively? What can we say? Nearly 2 blocks per game are indicative, but let’s delve deeper into the advanced statistics: 100 defensive rating points made him the best defensive player at Tofa? last season, and note this statistic: Austin manages to hold opposing centers he guards to only 47.6%. For big men, this is an exceptionally low rate.
In summary, Hapoel is getting a player who, despite his young age, has already proven his capabilities, and his potential ceiling is even higher. Go Austin Wiley, go Hapoel!
Austin Jermaine Wiley, 25 years old, was born in Birmingham, Alabama, to a pair of basketball stars. His mother, Vickie-Or, was an outstanding player, represented the USA in the OlymPics, and is one of the best players in Auburn University history with two NCAA championships - a college that Austin himself would return to later. His father, Aubrey, was also a notable big man and, yes, he also attended Auburn University.
At just 16 years old, Austin was already considered a major prospect. Not every teenager gets calls from Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s coach, or Bill Self, the Kansas coach. Ultimately, Austin chose to follow in his parents' footsteps and study at Auburn, after impressive high school averages of 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. At Auburn, under the legendary coach Bruce Pearl, Wiley became an important player from his freshman season, averaging 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in less than 20 minutes per game. In his senior season, Wiley averaged nearly a double-double per game - 10.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
Austin's first stop in Europe was Ludwigsburg in Germany, but after just one game, he moved to Trier in the second division, where he demonstrated complete dominance from the start with 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game. The following season, in 2022, he moved to Nept?nas in Lithuania and maintained consistency with 10.9 points, 8.9 rebounds (leading rebounder in the league), and more than 2 blocks per game. This performance was enough for Tofa? in Turkey, which followed him closely. In the past season, Wiley had his best season yet: 15.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and an impressive 68% shooting from the field. As a result, Wiley was named the Turkish League MVP, made the All-Season team in the Basketball Champions League, and was the leading rebounder in both competitions.
How do you stop him? It’s not clear if it’s even possible.
So what kind of player is Austin Wiley? The first thing that stands out is of course his impressive size. Standing at 210 cm, weighing about 120 kg, and with a wingspan of 2.30 meters, he is a human blocking machine with career averages close to 2 blocks per game. He is a great finisher around the rim, doing so with exceptional percentages, and alongside a strong face-up game, he is also effective in the post.
As befits a player of his size and position, Wiley draws a lot of fouls. Last season in Turkey, he drew no less than 4.4 fouls per game. His seasonal high was 9 fouls per game, which happened against Fenerbahçe with the new Hapoel Tel Aviv acquisition, Jonathan Motley. Most of the fouls Wiley draws occur when he manages to get as close to the basket as possible, and in such a situation, the only way to stop him is by fouling, which often results in an "and-one." Wiley’s free throw percentage last season was 66.7%, a nice increase from 59% in college, 62% in Germany, and 57% in Lithuania.
Wiley's method of scoring is very diverse. 61.5% of the time he gets the ball with his back to the basket, he ends up scoring; in 53% of the cases when he rolls to the basket on a pick-and-roll, it also ends in a score; but note how many passive points Wiley helps his team create: 8.1 points per game that his teammates score after a screen from Wiley, making him an effective weapon even when he doesn’t have the ball and helping guards get better looks.
And defensively? What can we say? Nearly 2 blocks per game are indicative, but let’s delve deeper into the advanced statistics: 100 defensive rating points made him the best defensive player at Tofa? last season, and note this statistic: Austin manages to hold opposing centers he guards to only 47.6%. For big men, this is an exceptionally low rate.
In summary, Hapoel is getting a player who, despite his young age, has already proven his capabilities, and his potential ceiling is even higher. Go Austin Wiley, go Hapoel!
