Currently in his third year at Wesley College and the son of an Old Collegian (Jane Parker, Fr 1990), Ben Williams began playing for the USYD basketball team in 2025 – where his talent caught the eye of selectors, and helped him secure an Elite Athlete Scholarship, jointly awarded by Sydney University Sport & Fitness and Wesley College.
Ben has also played a pivotal role in Wesley’s basketball team over the past three years, culminating in a standout performance in this year’s Rawson Cup victory. In the winning match against St John’s College, Ben scored a record 51 points – not only a personal best, but the highest score recorded in the tournament.
Ben took up basketball at the age of eight and was playing representative basketball by ten, progressing to state-level programs as his passion for the game deepened.
Between years nine and twelve Ben suffered significant injuries, including stress fractures in his spine, which saw him sit out several seasons. His dreams of playing basketball in the US after school were sadly thwarted by these physical challenges, and his setbacks were compounded by the travel restrictions of the COVID pandemic.
Needing to pivot his plans, a university college at USYD felt like the next best thing, and as the son of a Wesley College Old Col, Ben was excited to follow family tradition and embark on a new chapter at the College. Ben is currently in his final year at Wesley studying a BCom(Advanced), with one year to go before he graduates from Sydney University.
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For Ben, living at Wesley has made balancing university life and elite sport significantly easier, particularly when it comes to accessing training, with the College’s central location making it easier to fit training sessions around his academic commitments.
Fresh off the court, following his record-breaking Rawson Cup contribution, Ben recently reflected…“My university experience without scholarship support would have been tough, trying to pursue college life, academics, and basketball. The resources associated with this scholarship are so important. Whether that be academic support, or having people available to help organise our time and sporting activities.”
On college life, Ben notes that he has particularly enjoyed “being in the company of other students who are motivated and following interesting paths.” This has contributed to Ben’s inspiration on and off the court.
Ben hopes to continue playing for Sydney University, with his sights firmly set on the Australian NBL. And in the meantime, Wesley College is happy to be part of his success story - grateful for his significant contribution to college life, and our much-celebrated basketball success.
