Ben Bentil
| No. 50 – Xinjiang Flying Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | Chinese Basketball Association |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
March 29, 1995 Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
St. Andrew's School (Middletown, Delaware) |
| College | Providence (2014–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 51st overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2016–present | Xinjiang Flying Tigers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Benjamin Bentil (born March 29, 1995) is a Ghanaian professional basketball player for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played two seasons of college basketball for Providence before being drafted 51st overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft.
Early life
Bentil and his family moved from Ghana to the United States when he was 15 and Bentil's athletic prowess earned him a scholarship to St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. He played for the school's soccer and basketball teams, ultimately earning a basketball scholarship at Providence.[1]
College career
As a freshman at Providence College, Bentil started 23 of the Friars' 34 games, while averaging 6.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 21.5 minutes per game. He began to come into his own toward the end of the season, as he posted five double-doubles during his last 12 games, including a 21-point, 10 rebound performance on March 4 against Seton Hall.
Bentil broke out during his sophomore campaign, and he and teammate Kris Dunn – a consensus All-American – became one of the top one-two punches in college basketball. He led the Big East Conference with 21.1 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, field goal makes (246) and free throw makes (194). He also finished fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (46.2 percent), sixth in free throw percentage (78.2 percent), fourth in rebounds per game (7.7) and third in win shares (3.8). He started 32 of Providence's 35 games, scored in double-figures on 31 occasions, notched at least 20 points 21 times and tallied at least 30 points five times. Bentil recorded 31 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds on January 24 during an overtime win on the home court of eventual NCAA champion Villanova. Two and a half weeks later,[2] he scored a career-best 42 points during a double-overtime loss at Marquette. The effort included a 14-for-17 clip from the free throw line and 12 rebounds. He hovered right around his season averages during the Friars' two-game NCAA tournament run, posting 20.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG. He played all 40 minutes of Providence's first-round effort against USC, recording 19 points and nine rebounds during the 70-69 win. The Friars then lost in the second round to eventual NCAA runner-up UNC, despite a 50-point combined effort from Bentil and Dunn. At the close of the season, Bentil was named first-team All-Big East and the conference's most improved player.[3]
On March 23, 2016, Bentil declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.[4]
Professional career
2016–17 season
On June 23, 2016, Bentil was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 51st overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.[5] He signed with the Celtics on July 27, 2016,[6] but was waived on October 21 after appearing in three preseason games.[7] Three days later, he was signed and waived by the Indiana Pacers.[8] On October 31, he was acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Pacers.[9] After appearing in just a single D-League game for the Mad Ants, he left the team in mid-November in order to play in China.[10]
On November 25, 2016, Bentil signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association as a short-term injury replacement for Andray Blatche.[11] He made his debut for Xinjiang that night, scoring 28 points off the bench against the Jilin Northeast Tigers.[12]
References
- ↑ Forgrave, Reid (February 9, 2016). "Far from Ghana, Providence's Ben Bentil has found a home". FoxSports.com. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- ↑ "Draft Profile: Ben Bentil". NBA.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ McNamara, Kevin (March 7, 2016). "Big East names Kris Dunn Defensive Player of Year, Ben Bentil Most Improved". Providence Journal. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- ↑ Goodman, Jeff (March 23, 2016). "Providence's Ben Bentil to declare for draft, forgo hiring agent". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Boston Celtics 2016 Draft Results". NBA.com. June 24, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Celtics Sign Five Players". NBA.com. July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Celtics Waive Bentil". NBA.com. October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ "Pacers Sign, Waive Ben Bentil". NBA.com. October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Mad Ants Finalize Training Camp Roster Following 2016 Draft". NBA.com. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ↑ Hayes, Reggie (November 19, 2016). "Ghana's Ben Bentil makes long journey to Mad Ants, on to China". News-Sentinel.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Bentil signs for CBA side Xinjiang Guanghui". BasketballGhana.com. November 25, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- ↑ Considine, Debbie (November 28, 2016). "Fort Wayne Mad Ants' Ben Bentil Scores 28 Points in China Debut". 8points9seconds.com. Retrieved November 28, 2016.