Venky Jois

Venkatesha "Venky" Jois (born 7 July 1993) is an Australian professional basketball player for the NorthPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played four years of college basketball for Eastern Washington before playing professionally in Estonia, Croatia, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, Serbia and Slovenia. He has also played in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

Venky Jois
NorthPort Batang Pier
PositionPower forward
LeaguePBA
Personal information
Born (1993-07-07) 7 July 1993
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolBox Hill (Melbourne, Victoria)
CollegeEastern Washington (2012–2016)
NBA draft2016: undrafted
Playing career2011–present
Career history
2011–2012Dandenong Rangers
2016–2017Tartu Ülikooli
2017Vrijednosnice Osijek
2018Shiga Lakestars
2018Rasta Vechta
2019Melbourne United
2019Super City Rangers
2019–2020Memphis Hustle
2021Pirot
2021Cairns Taipans
2021Dandenong Rangers
2021–2022Helios Suns
2023North-West Tasmania Thunder
2023–presentNorthPort Batang Pier
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× First-team All-Big Sky (2015, 2016)
  • Big Sky Freshman of the Year (2013)
  • SEABL Youth Player of the Year (2011)

Early life

Jois was born in the Melbourne suburb of Upper Ferntree Gully to an Indian father and an Australian mother.[1][2] He attended Box Hill High School, where he participated in basketball, swimming, soccer, Australian rules football, cross country and athletics. He graduated in 2011. In 2011 and 2012, he played in the SEABL for the Dandenong Rangers, winning SEABL Youth Player of the Year honours in his first season after averaging 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.[1]

College career

Jois played four years of college basketball for Eastern Washington, winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honours in 2012–13. He also garnered All-Big Sky honorable mention accolades in his first two seasons. As a junior and senior, he earned first-team All-Big Sky honours. He also earned All-Tournament team honours after helping Eastern Washington win the 2015 Big Sky tournament.[1] In said season, Jois led the Eagles in both rebounds and blocks, and was second on the team in scoring.[3] As a result of them winning the Big Sky tournament, they were selected as a participant in the 2015 NCAA tournament. EWU was seeded as a #13 seed where they faced off against the #4 seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the first round, within the South Regional. Jois and the Eagles put up a valiant effort, but ultimately fell to Hoyas in a 10–point ballgame, 74–84, with Jois leading the team in rebounds and coming second in points.[4]

In 122 career games, Jois made 120 starts and averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game.[5]

Professional career

Jois spent his first professional season in Estonia, playing for Tartu Ülikooli during the 2016–17 season. He then split the 2017–18 season between Vrijednosnice Osijek in Croatia and Shiga Lakestars in Japan. After starting the 2018–19 season in Germany with Rasta Vechta, he left in November 2018. On 26 January 2019, he signed with Melbourne United for the rest of the 2018–19 NBL season.[6]

On 3 April 2019, Jois signed with the Super City Rangers for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season.[7] On 2 June 2019, he suffered a severe hand injury in a game against the Southern Huskies.[8] On 29 June 2019, he parted ways with the Rangers.[9][10]

In October 2019, Jois joined the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League.[11] He missed two months with an undisclosed injury.[12] Jois averaged 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game in 18 games.[13]

In February 2021, Jois joined Pirot of the Basketball League of Serbia.[14] In seven games, he averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.[15]

On 20 April 2021, Jois signed with the Cairns Taipans for the remainder of the 2020–21 NBL season.[16] Following the NBL season, he joined the Dandenong Rangers of the NBL1 South.[17]

In September 2021, Jois signed with the Helios Suns of Slovenian League.[18]

In March 2023, Jois joined the North-West Tasmania Thunder for the 2023 NBL1 South season.[19]

On October 19, 2023, Jois signed with the NorthPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as the team's import for the 2023–24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.[20]

References
  1. "EWU Athletics – Venky Jois – 2015–16". goeags.com. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  2. Arsenis, Damien (9 October 2013). "Pre-Season All-Australian First Team #4 - Venky Jois, Eastern Washington". The Pick and Roll. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. "2014-15 Eastern Washington Eagles Stats". ESPN. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  4. "Eastern Washington vs. Georgetown - Box Score - March 19, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  5. "Venky Jois College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  6. "Venky Jois Joins Melbourne United". NBL.com.au. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  7. "Player Signing announcement". facebook.com. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. "HUSKIES SURVIVE BIG SCARE AGAINST TOUGH RANGERS". nznbl.basketball. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  9. "RANGERS TRIO OUT FOR THE SEASON". nznbl.basketball. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  10. Rosenberg, Matthew (16 July 2019). "Ex-NBA players leave Auckland's Supercity Rangers claiming they're owed pay". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  11. "Memphis Hustle announce 2019-20 training camp roster". gleague.nba.com. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  12. "Venky Jois: Returns after long absence". CBS Sports. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. Hunt, Steven (29 March 2020). "Former EWU standout Venky Jois enjoying his home away from home in America". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  14. "Pirot signs Venkatesha Jois". australiabasket.com. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  15. "Cairns add Jois to their roster". australiabasket.com. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  16. "Cairns Taipans Add Venky Jois". NBL.com.au. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  17. "Venky Jois". NBL1.com.au. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  18. "Venkatesha Jois (ex Dandenong R.) agreed terms with Helios Suns". australiabasket.com. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  19. Clooney, Emily (6 March 2023). "North West Thunder sign former NBL player Venky Jois for season". theadvocate.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  20. Ramos, Gerry (19 October 2023). "NorthPort taps Australian Venky Jois as Commissioner's Cup import". Spin.ph. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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