Ben Henshall Continues To Impress in NBL Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft Cycle

Being an NBL Next Star is the primary way to draw scouts' and front offices' attention when playing in Australia, but you can always do it by simply putting in consistent quality performances. Perth Wildcats bench guard Ben Henshall has done the latter.

Ben Henshall / fiba.basketbal

When you think of NBL prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft, you think of the Next Stars - Rocco Zikarsky and Alex Toohey are the two most discussed names so far - but through 10-plus games of this NBL season, another player is forcing his way into NBA Draft discussions: Perth Wildcats bench guard Ben Henshall. He will be roughly 21 years old when the 2025 NBA Draft comes around and while he may not be on a Next Star deal, he certainly looks like one. 

He’s averaging 9.6 points, and 3.4 assists on 39/38/80 shooting splits this season and has taken nearly 30 three-point attempts. His solid play is guaranteeing the Wildcats quality high-level guard play at all times. They either have Henshall or MVP candidate Bryce Cotton on the floor at all times. Henshall was not featured in any popular pre-season mock drafts. You would’ve been hard-pressed to find anyone talking about him generally before the season who wasn’t dialed into the NBL, but last week, he torched the Illawarra Hawks to the tune of 26 points and six assists on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. It was his fourth double-digit scoring burst of the season. 

A new NBL career-high for Ben Henshall: 26 points (8/15 FG, 5/8 3PT), to go with 6 assists in the Perth Wildcats’ win over the Hawks. He showed a cool mixture of off-the-dribble scoring and shooting off the catch. 6’5, draft-eligible combo guard who’s still just 20. pic.twitter.com/uukTOh46F9

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) November 1, 2024

Henshall is not the quickest guard and doesn’t have impressive leaping ability, but his skills are leaning into some of the earned athletic advantages he does have and the synchronization of the two is leading to what appears to be a breakout season. Henshall has great size for an NBL guard, and what would be an acceptable size for an NBA guard - 6-foot-5 and 198 pounds. He uses his strength advantage to create separation against inferior opponents. He muscles them off and then makes use of a quick-release and soft touch to convert his self-created scoring opportunities. 

His quick release is arguably his most impressive skill. He gets the ball from any position - off the dribble, at his side, at his ankles, truly anywhere - into his release point with great speed. It’s making him a dribble handoff three-point threat, and with his plus strength, he’s comfortable launching from well beyond the arc when he’s in a groove. The sample is small but Henshall is in the 95th percentile of players on handoffs in the NBL so far this season.

His impressive three-point shooting is drawing more respect from defenders. They’re pushing him off the line and beneath it and Henshall is again adapting by combining his skill and hidden athletic qualities. His great strength is accompanied by good balance and a solid center of gravity. He’s looking for his floater as he draws more hard closeouts. The accuracy isn’t where you want it yet, he’s 2-of-8 on runner’s per Synergy Sports, but his willingness to take it shows confidence. A key first hurdle for a lot of prospects. Henshall is however shooting 53 percent on off-the-dribble jumpers - 5-of-8 on two’s and 4-of-9 on three’s - and 33 percent (6-of-8) on contested three-pointers.

These numbers stand out because if this continues over the course of the season, it shows that Henshall’s lack of speed and burst won’t inhibit his ability to score as much as it does for other prospects. He is showcasing a versatile shot profile with a blend of tough shot-making. There aren’t a ton of prospects doing that against professionals at the moment.  

While Henshall’s shooting and scoring are dominating the limited conversation about him, he’s still running the pick-and-roll well. His 1.13 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ballhandler have him in the 95th percentile per Synergy, and while it is a small sample size again, he has flashed the ability to throw accurate skip passes to open shooters out of the pick-and-roll. A skill a lot of young guards struggle with. 

Henshall being a late bloomer and a name that wasn’t anywhere near draft circles to start the season could be a mountain that’s too steep to climb for the 2025 NBA Draft. But if he keeps this level of play up he’ll have several quality options in front of him. He could wait until 2026, he could pursue an NIL deal, or he could capitalize on being undrafted and potentially pick an NBA environment that he feels suits him best.

The way Henshall has played so far, it wouldn’t be a shock if four years from now he’s some undrafted bench guard for the Miami Heat, hitting timely big shots to help them cause another playoff upset. That’s probably the best-case scenario, but it’s one he seems capable of earning with his play for the Wildcats. 

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