Benjamin Bentil (born March 29, 1995) is a Ghanaian professional basketball player who last played for Crvena zvezda of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. He played two seasons of college basketball for Providence before being drafted 51st overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft.
Early life
Bentil was sent to the United States from Ghana when he was 15 and Bentil's athletic prowess earned him a scholarship to the Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania before leaving for St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. He played for the school's soccer and basketball teams, ultimately earning a basketball scholarship at Providence. He was a star player for St. Andrew's.
College career
As a freshman at Providence College, Bentil started 23 of the Friars' 34 games, while averaging 6.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 21.5 minutes per game. He began to come into his own toward the end of the season, as he posted five double-doubles during his last 12 games, including a 21-point, 10 rebound performance on March 4 against Seton Hall.
Bentil broke out during his sophomore campaign, and he and teammate Kris Dunn – a consensus All-American – became one of the top one-two punches in college basketball. He led the Big East Conference with 21.1 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, field goal makes (246) and free throw makes (194). He also finished fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (46.2 percent), sixth in free throw percentage (78.2 percent), fourth in rebounds per game (7.7) and third in win shares (3.8). He started 32 of Providence's 35 games, scored in double-figures on 31 occasions, notched at least 20 points 21 times and tallied at least 30 points five times. Bentil recorded 31 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds on January 24 during an overtime win on the home court of eventual NCAA champion Villanova. Two and a half weeks later, he scored a career-best 42 points during a double-overtime loss at Marquette. The effort included a 14-for-17 clip from the free throw line and 12 rebounds. He hovered right around his season averages during the Friars' two-game NCAA tournament run, posting 20.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG. He played all 40 minutes of Providence's first-round effort against USC, recording 19 points and nine rebounds during the 70–69 win. The Friars then lost in the second round to eventual NCAA runner-up UNC, despite a 50-point combined effort from Bentil and Dunn. At the close of the season, Bentil was named first-team All-Big East and the conference's most improved player.
On March 23, 2016, Bentil declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.
Professional career
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2016) On June 23, 2016, Bentil was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 51st overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He signed with the Celtics on July 27, 2016, but was waived on October 21 after appearing in three preseason games. Three days later, he was signed and waived by the Indiana Pacers. On October 31, he was acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Pacers. After appearing in just a single D-League game for the Mad Ants, he left the team in mid-November in order to play in China.
Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2016) On November 25, 2016, Bentil signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association as a short-term injury replacement for Andray Blatche. He made his debut for Xinjiang that night, scoring 28 points off the bench against the Jilin Northeast Tigers. He left Xinjiang in late December 2016 after appearing in 11 games.
Dallas Mavericks / Return to Fort Wayne (2017) On January 16, 2017, Bentil returned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
On February 26, 2017, Bentil signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He made his NBA debut three days later in the Mavericks' 100–95 loss to the Atlanta Hawks; Bentil entered the game in the second quarter and failed to score in 4½ minutes of playing time, becoming the first player born in Ghana to play in the NBA. On March 8, 2017, after two more games with the Mavericks, the 10-day contract expired and returned to the Mad Ants.
Châlons-Reims (2017–2018) Bentil was included in San Antonio Spurs roster for 2017 NBA Summer League. On August 28, 2017, Bentil signed a deal with the Champagne Châlons-Reims Basket out in France's LNB Pro A.
Bilbao (2018) In February 2018, Bentil left Châlons-Reims and signed with Bilbao Basket in Spain for the remainder of the season.