As the Gators look to add another star in the backcourt a high-level name has emerged as a possibility–Australian Ben Henshall.
Right now college basketball is entering a new era where international players with professional experience are entering the NCAA due to NIL, and it has opened up an entirely new pathway for elite talent. When you look at some of these stories you might question how these players can be deemed eligible, but to this point there have been a ton of overseas pros getting eligibility so it has to be an outlet top teams are looking into.
Now, let’s talk about Henshall.
A native of Western Australia, Henshall has actually played with Alex Condon in an Australian U-20 Tournament representing that region where they are both from. Since then, Henshall has seen his stock explode in the Australian basketball system.
Henshall just completed a season in the NBL which is the top professional league in Australia, and a league that has been known to be one of the best leagues in the world outside of the NBA. His team, the Perth Wildcats, finished third in the regular season so they were a very successful team, and he played a big role averaging 9.4 points and 2.6 assists while playing 24 minutes per game–the fifth highest minutes on the roster which speaks to his importance.
Now, let me just contextualize how good the league is and how impressive it is that Henshall is playing an important role by telling you about his teammates that he’s playing alongside.
Bryce Cotton is a two-time first team All Big East member.
Kristian Doolittle averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a senior at Oklahoma.
Dylan Windler was a first round NBA draft pick who averaged 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his senior season at Belmont.
Tai Webster (who Henshall stole a starter spot from) was a second team All-Big Ten player at Nebraska as a senior who averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Keanu Pinder was a top recruit who went to Arizona.
Not only are these players with pedigree who proved themselves at the top level of the college sport–they’re now veterans in their late twenties and early thirties who have seen their game get even better–and Henshall is right alongside them playing a huge role and contributing to a successful season.
After the close of the 2025 NBL season Henshall has moved to America where he will work out and ponder declaring for the NBA Draft, where he will see certain interest. However, he is open to college opportunities–and as a 20 year old he is someone who could come into any college program and immediately be a leader and one of the best players in the sport. This is no under-the-radar sleeper that teams are looking to take some flyer on–this is the equivalent of getting a top transfer in the portal that you expect to play 30 minutes a game and put up huge production immediately.
Standing at 6’5”, Henshall has great size to play multiple positions, though he might be at his best with the ball in his hands looking to attack and get to his pull-up jumper. Playing alongside Bryce Cotton, one of the best players in the world outside of the NBA who averaged 28 points per game this season, Henshall wasn’t always able to be the primary initiator that he would be if he went to the NCAA, but when he got his moments he was able to show the mix of skill and physicality that has scouts salivating. His pull-up shooting extended to the three-point line where he shot 42% on his off the dribble threes, an area where Florida will be looking to replace the production of Walter Clayton.
Henshall is also excellent in transition where he can get his big frame flying up the floor whether off his own rebound or when he pushes up the wing looking for an outlet pass. 27% of his offensive possessions came in transition last season so he welcomes a fast pace, something that Florida will love to see on film.
Henshall still has some work to do when it comes to shooting off the catch, and he wasn’t always a great finisher at the rim–though the NBL is one of the hardest leagues in the world to score at the paint given the length and physicality of those frontcourt players.
Where Henshall might be underrated is on the defensive end where he is extremely disruptive with his length. The NBL is a league predicated on defense and toughness so Henshall would not be getting a pass if he couldn’t defend, and instead of just fighting to be average as most young players are in top leagues–he pushed to be one of the better defenders on the team. His aggressiveness led to averaging 1.0 steal per game, and his versatility to guard multiple positions would make him an elite SEC defender.
If Henshall chooses to go the NCAA route the Gators would be in a good position to land him. The only question right now is how long it will take him to make a decision, and if the Gators will want to wait around for him to make that call or if they’ll want to make other moves in the portal.
Henshall is someone who would make a huge splash at any program that lands him and is someone that is worth waiting on, so look to see what the Gators do with this situation.