"Jumping" Joe Hurst played his college ball with Northwest Missouri State University, before starting his professional career for the Hobart Devils in the NBL.
During his debut season, he averaged 32 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block and captured league MVP in the process.
Strangely, he was left off the All-NBL First team that season and become the only MVP in NBL history to not make the All NBL First team in the same season.
Hurst played a second season with the Devils in 1989, averaging 29 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per game. His numbers not quite what they were during his debut season thanks to a number of mid-season injuries.
Hurst also played professionally for teams in Sweden, Iceland, Croatia, Indonesia and Portugal before playing a final season for Hobart in 1992.
Topics include;
Joe Hurst's current role as Bendigo Basketball's director of coaching.and how it allows him to stay close to the development of Australian Basketball (2:00) His basketball roots in Illinois and his college basketball career at Northwest Missouri State University (9:00) A brief NBA stint with the Kansas City Kings in 1985 (12:00) How Joe found his way to the Hobart Devils and funny stories from arriving in Australia (21:00) Joe Hursts 1988 MVP season (31:00) Joe Hurst drops 51 points against the Brisbane Bullets to keep his job (38:00) The 1989 NBL season (44:00) Playing as an import in Sweden, Croatia, Indonesia and Iceland (54:00) The 1992 NBL season (1:00:00) His role as father/coach of his daughter Ahlise Hurst who currently plays at the University of New Mexico (1:05:00) The highlights of his career and the biggest obstacles he faced (1:17:00)Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
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Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball, head to Aussiehoopla.com. Check out previous podcasts featuring;
Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars -Donald Sloan, AJ Ogilvy, Damian Martin, Daniel Kickert, Thomas Abercrombie, Jason Cadee, Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Mitch McCarron, Cam Gliddon, Anthony Drmic
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Phil Smyth, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Mike Mitchell, Darnell Mee, Isaac Burton, Adonis Jordan, Shawn Redhage, Willie Farley, Al Green, Corey "Homicide" Williams, Andre Moore, Steve Woodberry, Mike Mitchell, Dusty Rychart, Ebi Ere, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chuck Harmison, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner
All that and much more.
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