Henshall “Future of the Franchise” at Wildcats

Friday, April 21, 2023

Perth Wildcats’ General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills has hailed young signing Ben Henshall as the “future of the franchise”.

Photo: DiscoveryOne_Photography

Perth Wildcats’ General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills has hailed young signing Ben Henshall as the “future of the franchise”.

Henshall, a Western Australia born and bred youngster, has signed on with the Wildcats as a fully contracted player, at the young age of just 18 years old.

Henshall, in Mills’ opinion, will hold a pivotal role in the team for years to come.

“There’s a reason we put all the faith in Ben, bringing him straight onto the roster. We think he's the future of the franchise,” Mills said.

“Ben's got a huge career ahead of him, and we're really, really excited that he's chosen Perth.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SIGNED ??<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerthWildcats</a> have added to their burgeoning list of West Australian talent by signing exciting guard Ben Henshall on a two-year deal.<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/P2H1w0ZBl8">https://t.co/P2H1w0ZBl8</a> <a href="https://t.co/OzZnYb5fI4">pic.twitter.com/OzZnYb5fI4</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1647772277591937024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Henshall was thrilled to sign with the Wildcats and spoke on the decision of choosing the professional pathway over college.

“Everyone is going down the college pathway, and the NBL is starting to become a really good pathway for younger guys like me,” Henshall said.

“So it was a no brainer really.

“I wanted to come to the NBL as quick as I could to boost my development and get around the older guys, be in that professional environment as soon as possible.”

Skipping the college pathway and heading straight to the second-best league in the world will be a big adjustment for the rookie but Mills assures Henshall will gain valuable experience under NBL veterans.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I’ve been watching the Wildcats play for a long time now so it feels amazing to finally get to suit up and play with all the boys."<br><br>Great to have you in RED, Ben! ? <a href="https://t.co/FANa6sIVOo">pic.twitter.com/FANa6sIVOo</a></p>— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats/status/1647770567037300736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It's gonna be a big step up for Ben, he knows that. Probably physically more than anything will be the difference,” Mills said.

“There's a reason we put all the faith in the world in Ben bringing him straight onto the roster.”

Mills reiterated Henshall’s fight for minutes will be tough and he will need to showcase to coach John Rillie his capability.

“From day one he’s going to have to compete for minutes, nothing’s given here, everything is earned and he knows that,” Mills said.

“I think JR is showing that if you come in everyday and work hard, then opportunities will be provided.

“We have no doubt that Ben’s skillset, youth and athleticism on the court, he is going to fight from day one for minutes on our rotation.”