Dream come true for Browder 12 months early

Featured Image: Madeleine Clark @madeleineclarkmedia

Jack Browder wanted to play NBL1 but never thought it would be possible in 2026 only for that to change so quickly and to have the most spectacular Perry Lakes Hawks NBL1 West debut with 34 points and his first ever game winner.

It's one of the more remarkable stories what Browder did last weekend for the Hawks on debut firstly with the 34 points and game winning three-pointer on Saturday night against the East Perth Eagles.

What makes it so remarkable was that the 21-year-old only played his last game at college with Carson Newman University on March 5 and he had his sights set on playing in the NBL1 on the urging of teammate Oliver Smith – but in 2027.

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He had no idea it would be possible as soon as the 2026 season but all of a sudden new Perry Lakes coach, and Perth Wildcats NBL assistant, reached out to him and without even having an agent, Browder quickly jumped at the opportunity and got to Perth as quickly as he could.

Then after he had to sit out the first weekend after arriving along with fellow new import Isaiah Moses, his debut was the thing that he might not have been able to come up with in his dreams.

He had 34 points with 4/11 three-point shooting against East Perth and hit the game clinching shot with six seconds to go right in front of the Eagles bench.

He backed up with 22 points and five rebounds in Sunday's win against the Goldfields Giants and a few days later and Browder is still pinching himself.

"It was pretty crazy and I've hit some shots to send it to OT but I've never hit the shot that was a game winner basically like that so it was crazy," Browder said.

"To do that in my first game and just the whole thing is something I don't even know how to explain, it was just pretty crazy as well as being awesome and fun and super enjoyable.

"It started us off on the right track that's for sure, everything about it was just so good and it was like a way to slam open the door is the best way I can explain it."

NBL1 dream a year early

Browder had done his research while at college where he was the All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Player of the Year this year that should he want to play in the American summer that the NBL1 could well be the best option.

So he had already locked it into his mind that he wanted to make it happen for 2027 but all of a sudden once Peterson reached out about bringing him to Perry Lakes in 2026, he could scarcely believe his luck.

"My entire goal was for NBL1 next summer, the summer of 27. I had an Australian teammate back in college and I have a girlfriend who plays softball, and her season is in the American summer so my whole goal was just to see whatever happens this year and then next year I knew I wanted to play NBL1," Browder said.

"I had an Australian teammate who gave me the whole rundown about it and I had planned all along to do that because I didn’t think any NBL1 team would be able to take an import this late into the season especially a D2 guy like myself coming in straight out of college.

"I was joking with him saying that no NBL1 team would take me now but then all of a sudden Ben DM'd me on Instagram and I just thought holy smokes right away. I was getting exactly what I wanted but a whole year early and I was super excited when that happened."

Whirlwind that couldn't be going better

Browder can still barely believe that less than two months ago he was still playing for his college team and now all of a sudden while still only 21 he is an import on an NBL1 team in Australia.

It's a dream that he thought he would have to wait longer to achieve, but already the experience has been more than he could have imagined and it might have been a blessing in the long run his debut was pushed back to this past weekend.

"It's still kinda crazy and it's happened so quick the last couple of weeks going straight from college and not knowing what was going to happen, and all of a sudden getting the opportunity to come and play for Perry Lakes," Browder said.

"It's been crazy and I'm just thankful to be over here and for it to finally work out so I could play, and I couldn’t write up a better script for the first game. I've already been happy and excited to be playing with these guys, and it's been a lot of fun so far.

"I had been here for about a week and me and Isaiah didn’t get cleared for the first game that we were in town for so we had two practices to sort of get acclimated. I bet if you looked after that first practice I had, I was looking rough and it's definitely an adjustment.

"There's a lot similar to American basketball but there's a lot little small differences that add up to make a big difference. It definitely took a couple days of practice and getting to know everybody, and the whole team has been very supportive and encouraging and welcoming.

"Me and Isaiah have both felt welcomed and that's sort of helped us get acclimated pretty quick."

Why NBL1 was so appealing

When Browder was thinking about where he saw his basketball career going beyond college, he knew he wanted to be a year-round basketball player and he was open to doing that anywhere in the world.

He had another college teammate recently go to Georgia to play, but it's fair to say that would have quite a more significant culture shock on a number of fronts than coming out to play in Australia.

So the combination that Browder knew he'd have no trouble adjusting to life in Australia and then also that he'd heard nothing but good things about the NBL1 meant that it's exactly where he always wanted to play during the American summer season.

"I knew all along that it was the perfect league for me to play in because there's not too many leagues playing in the American summer so NBL1 is one of the best so I knew it would be a great opportunity," Browder said.

"And it's an easier transition honestly just because it's English speaking, not really a culture shock and basically all of the NBL1 teams have very good set ups.

"I don’t even have an agent so I'm lucky that it just sort of happened how it did with Ben just sending me a DM to get it started.

"His dad is a D2 assistant out in California so I'm assuming that's how he might have found about me, but honestly I haven’t got into that with Ben to find out why he reached out.

"Because I didn’t have an agent, it made it all so much easier so I could just work it out directly with the coach and it all just worked out."

Future beyond the NBL1

Considering that only six weeks ago Browder was only finishing up his college career and now already he's playing NBL1, that's been more than enough to try and process before thinking about his future beyond.

However, long-term he has no problem admitting what a dream it would be to keep playing in Australia in the NBL and before anyone thinks that's out of reach, he's already playing NBL1 a year before he felt that would even be a realistic possibility.

"Obviously NBL would be amazing and I'm not sure exactly what that route would look like for me to get there coming from a D2 school, but thinking longer term if that would ever be an opportunity for me, gosh, I would jump on that in a heartbeat," Browder said.

"We work out with the Wildcats guys a lot and play some pick up, and Luke Travers has even been in there a bunch so that's been awesome.

"To play against that level of competition is something I never got to do in college where I was at because I was at a small school so I never had the chance to get in the gym with high-level guys like that.

"So it's been awesome to be able to learn from and compete with those guys, but that would be absolutely amazing and I'd love to play in the NBL but I'm realistic to know it might still be a fair bit off."

Perry Lakes success the immediate focus

While Browder might have some lofty career goals, right now all he is worried about is helping Perry Lakes have as successful a season as possible in the NBL1 West.

Considering the Hawks were in bottom place before Browder and Moses suited up and now all of a sudden after two wins over the Eagles and Giants they look capable of big things, he's excited about what the rest of this season might look like.

"Ben recruited on that and was talking about how we would all fit together and I feel like Cam is the best four/five stretch big guys in the league from what I've seen," Browder said.

"So being able to play with him and having his gravity to help with me and Isaiah, I think that we're gonna be able to battle against any of the teams.

"I'm excited to be able to play the rest of this year out and see where it goes, but we have all the confidence right now especially after this first weekend.

"We only had two practices and then two games, and now we have had practice this week, and every single time we all get together it's another step in the right direction just in terms of chemistry and game feel and connection, and trying to figure out everybody's strengths and trying to play to those."