Nationality Australian 2005 Willetton Tigers Listed height 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) Name Jarrad Prue | Pro career 2003–2015 Role Basketball Player 2003–2004 Lakeside Lightning Position Center | |
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Born 11 February 1982 (age 42)
Perth, Western Australia ( 1982-02-11 ) High school Rossmoyne Senior
(Perth, Western Australia) | ||
Jarrad Prue (born 11 February 1982) is an Australian former basketball player who spent the majority of his playing career with the Lakeside Lightning of the State Basketball League (SBL). Considered one of the best players in SBL history, Prue ended his career as the league's all-time leading rebounder. A registered auditor off the court, Prue also had a short stint with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2013.
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Early life
Born and raised in Perth, Prue attended Rossmoyne Senior High School in the southern suburb of Bull Creek, where he graduated from in 1999. He went on to graduate from Curtin University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting & Finance), and in July 2004, he joined BDO Audit after working for 18 months at a Perth Big 4 firm. He was later admitted as a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2006.
Basketball career
Prue began his decorated State Basketball League career in 2003 for the Lakeside Lightning, playing in 24 games while averaging 4.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Prue's second season with Lakeside saw him establish himself as one of the best rebounders in the league, as he averaged 18.5 boards in 26 games (480 total rebounds) in 2004. In 2005, Prue spent a lone season with the Willetton Tigers and managed just nine games. He returned to Lakeside in 2006, where he played ever since.
His 13.0 points and 19.1 rebounds per game helped lead the Lightning to a second consecutive title in 2006 as Prue captured his first career championship. In 2007, Prue won the SBL's leading rebounder award for a third time. After an injury-hit year in 2008 limited him to just five games, Prue returned to form in 2009 as he won the SBL's leading rebounder award, was named to the SBL All-Star Five alongside teammate Luke Payne, and led the Lightning to an 85–77 Grand Final win over the Perry Lakes Hawks, capturing his second SBL championship.
In 2010, Prue won his fifth rebounding crown after averaging 19.7 boards per game, and with 10.6 points per game, he was named to the All-Star Five for the second consecutive year. Following the 2010 season, he captained the SBL Representative All-Star Team that played two invitational games in Indonesia. The following years of 2011 and 2012 also brought big rebounding numbers, as he went on to captain the Lightning to another championship in 2013 with a 77–74 Grand Final win over the Wanneroo Wolves. His 630 total rebounds during the 2013 season made Prue the all-time leading rebounder in SBL history.
On 5 September 2013, Prue was named one of 12 SBL players to compete against the Perth Wildcats in an exhibition game on 8 September at the WA Basketball Centre. The Wildcats won the game 93–79, and later that month, Prue trained with the Wildcats and participated in two NBL preseason games. With an injury to starting centre Matthew Knight, Prue signed with the Wildcats as an injury-replacement on 2 October 2013. Prue managed three games for the Wildcats before Knight returned to the line-up in mid-November. His final game on 1 November against the Wollongong Hawks proved to be his best as he had a trade mark rebounding game, finishing with seven boards, two assists and one steal.
While his stint with the Wildcats was short lived, the experience helped Prue go on to record a career-high 24.0 rebounds per game during the 2014 SBL season. On 2 August 2014, he played his 300th SBL game in the first game of the Lightning's quarter-final series against the Stirling Senators. He subsequently won the SBL's leading rebounder award for a ninth time and was named to the All-Star Five for a third time. Following the 2014 season, Prue was named captain of the SBL All-Stars who again competed against the Perth Wildcats in an exhibition game on 5 September 2014 at the WA Basketball Centre. In emphatic fashion, the Wildcats defeated the All-Stars 98–59.
In the 2015 season opener on 14 March, Prue came off the bench to record 26 rebounds in a 100–91 win over the Cockburn Cougars. On 24 April, he had a season-best game with 15 points and 23 rebounds in a 105–103 loss to the Stirling Senators. On 1 June, Prue competed in the SBL All-Star Game for the South All-Stars. Coming off the bench, he recorded 13 points and eight rebounds in a 143–135 win over the North All-Stars. On 14 June, he scored a season-high 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting in a 105–93 win over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. In the Lightning's final game of the season on 25 July, Prue recorded eight points and a season-high 32 rebounds in a 99–92 loss to the Goldfields Giants. It was a dismal season for the Lightning as they finished in 12th place with a 9–17 win/loss record, thus missing the playoffs for the first time in Prue's tenure with the club. Prue subsequently retired from playing following the 2015 season, ending his career with 3,215 points and a league-record 5,998 rebounds.
Career statistics
Correct as of the end of the 2015 season
Personal
Off the court, Prue is an auditor and is currently an associate director for BDO Australia.