Biography:

Josh Benson’s length, quickness and ability to put the ball on the floor posed matchup problems for Flyer opponents.  One of those players whose late growth spurt moved him to the frontcourt, Benson was a guard growing up and handles the ball well for a big man.

He also has a quick (and long) first step, which makes him a threat to get to rim every time he touches the ball.

Young for his age in his graduating class coming out of high school, Benson made the most of a torn labrum as a freshman, having surgery to stabilize the shoulder and using his rehab time to get stronger and develop his left hand.

Benson suffered a torn left ACL his junior season where he only saw action in 14 games. Benson worked hard in the off-season rehabbing his knee to come back even stronger for his senior season in 2012-13. Prior to the injury, Benson was a pleasant surprise as his development as a basketball player took off.

Despite two serious injuries that forced him to redshirt his freshman year and miss 19 games as a junior, Benson was one of the most productive Flyers. For his career he shot a stellar .559 (312-of-558) from the field, which places him fourth in school history. Benson led UD in field goal percentage in three of his four seasons.

Overall, Benson scored 765 points (6.6 ppg) for his career, which ranks him 68th in school history. He pulled down 393 career rebounds (3.4 rpg) and swatted away 65 shots (.56 bpg).

2012-13
Coming off his junior campaign that was shortened due to an ACL injury, Josh Benson played in all 31 of the Flyers games, including 25 starts, during the 2012-13 season. He ranked third on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game. He led the Flyers in blocks with 32 (1.03 bpg) and field goal percentage (.564, 133-of-236). He also ranked fourth on the team in rebounds (4.2 rpg). Overall, Benson played 725 minutes (23.4 mpg) scoring 328 points and hauling in 131 rebounds during the 2012-13 season.

Benson opened the season with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and had eight rebounds against Arkansas State. He scored 17 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the free throw line and hauled in 9 rebounds against Weber State. This started a string of four consecutive games where Benson scored in double-figures and pulled down at least five rebounds.

Benson scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and hauled in six rebounds in a victory at Alabama. In the next game, he recorded a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds against Miami.

Benson tallied a season-high 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and hauled in eight rebounds vs. UAB. Against Duquesne, he netted 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds.

In the win over Xavier, Benson scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. At Charlotte, Benson tallied 15 points as he shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line. In his final collegiate game, he scored 18 points on 9-of-17 shooting and hauled in five rebounds against Butler.

2011-2012
Josh Benson was limited to just 14 games during his junior season due to a torn left ACL. The 6-foot-9 big man was the Flyers top post threat before he was injured. Benson started all 14 games in which he played and registered a total of 371 minutes of action (26.5 mpg). He tallied 152 points (10.9 ppg) and 73 rebounds (5.2 rpg). Even though he played in just 14 games, Benson was tied for second on the team with 15 blocks. Benson shot a team-best .610 (64-of-105) from the field, which was third in the A-10 at the time of his injury.

Benson opened the season with a career-high 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field against Western Illinois. He had 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and hauled in eight rebounds in the first round of the Old Spice Classic against Wake Forest. Benson had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the Old Spice Championship game victory against Minnesota.

At Murray State, Benson shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and ended up with 17 points. In the following game versus No.16 Alabama, Benson scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. He had 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting versus USC Upstate.

Against Seton Hall, Benson tallied 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and tied a career-high with nine rebounds. In the next game versus UIC, he scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and hauled in eight rebounds.

Benson tore his left ACL in the non-conference finale against Ole Miss. Benson started the game hot as he scored seven points in 11 minutes of action before being sidelined with the knee injury.  He had surgery on Jan. 18.

2010-11
Josh Benson’s development helped him take over the starting center role mid-way through the season. Benson would not disappoint as he averaged 5.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while playing 17.9 minutes per game. For the season, Benson played all in 36 games, including 13 starts, while scoring 200 points and hauling in 127 rebounds in 643 minutes of action. He finished with the best field goal percentage on the Flyers as he shot .548 (80-146).

At Ole Miss, Benson scored 10 points while connecting on 5-of-8 shots and hauling in five rebounds. Against Cincinnati, he set career-highs for rebounds (9), steals (2), and minutes (29). At home against Western Carolina, Benson netted eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.

At Xavier, he scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and hauled in four rebounds. This started a stretch of six games where Benson averaged 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Against Fordham, Benson netted 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and snagged eight rebounds. At Duquesne, he scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and hauled in four rebounds. Following the Duquesne game, Benson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds against both St. Bonaventure and La Salle.

In the home match-up with Duquesne, he netted eight points and pulled down six rebounds. At home against Xavier, Benson tallied seven points on 3-of-5 shooting and swatted a career-high two blocks. Against Saint Louis, he scored a career-high 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. At George Washington, Benson netted 10 points and hauled in seven rebounds.

2009-10
Josh Benson played in 35 games in his first season for the Flyers with averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Benson totaled 85 points and grabbed 62 rebounds for the season while displaying rare athleticism and mobility for a big man. He played 283 minutes (8.1 per game) and ranked fifth on the team with a field goal percentage of .493 (35-of-71). In the win at rival Miami, Benson scored four points and grabbed a rebound. He scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, hauled in seven rebounds and had two steals in the win over Presbyterian. In the following game against Appalachian State,he scored four points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. He had seven points on 3-of-3 shooting from the foul line, and two assists against Boston. In the road match-up against Xavier, Benson tallied eight points and dished out a career-high three assists. At Saint Louis, he netted five points and grabbed four rebounds. He had nine points on 3-of-5 shooting against La Salle. In the home match-up with Saint Louis, Benson scored four points and hauled in five rebounds.

2008-09
Benson suffered a torn right labrum in early November and redshirted the 2008-09 season.  

High School
Benson had the luxury of playing for the powerful Dunbar Wolverine program. Dunbar is one of the few schools in Ohio that generally has had an abundance of big men in the program, which meant as a younger player he was challenged by bigger and stronger players in his own program on a daily basis.

That situation paid dividends when as a junior, Benson came through in the 2007 OHSAA Division II championship game. He scored 16 points and was named MVP of the game as Dunbar won its second straight state title.

For the year, he averaged 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks and was named Third Team All-Ohio.

After his final season at Dunbar, Benson was named to the AP Ohio Division II First Team and also picked up Southwest District Player of the Year honors. He was rated No. 31 amongst power forwards in his class by ESPN.com. while leading Dunbar to its second straight state championship. olverine program. Dunbar is one of the few schools in Ohio that generally has had an abundance of big men in the program, which meant as a younger player he was challenged by bigger and stronger players in his own program on a daily basis.

That situation paid dividends when as a junior, Benson came through in the 2007 OHSAA Division II championship game. He scored 16 points and was named MVP of the game as Dunbar won its second straight state title.

For the year, he averaged 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks and was named Third Team All-Ohio.

After his final season at Dunbar, Benson was named to the AP Ohio Division II First Team and also picked up Southwest District Player of the Year honors. He was rated No. 31 amongst power forwards in his class by ESPN.com. while leading Dunbar to its second straight state championship. 

Personal Data 
Full Name: Joshua Allen Benson
Nickname: Josh
Son of: Willie and Marilyn Benson
Siblings: Jermaine (23) and Melloni (25)
Birthday: February 21, 1990
Major: Electronic Media 
High School Coach: Peter Pullen
AAU Team: Dayton Metro
Career Goal: Go to the NBA and get into the field of coaching
Why I Chose UD:

UD is a great place to be and to play. Also it is a place where I can grow and mature as a young man.

Career Statistics

Dayton Career Highs
Points: 21, Western Illinois (11/12/11)
Rebounds: 9, vs. Cincinnati (11/27/10); Seton Hall (12/21/11)
Assists: 3, at Xavier (1/16/10); Florida A&M (11/24/10), USC-Upstate (12/11/11)
Steals: 3, UNC-Wilmington (11/19/11)
Blocks: 3, Seton Hall (12/21/11); Illinois-Chicago (12/23/11)
FGs Made: 10, Western Illinois (11/12/11)
FT Made: 5, Buffalo (11/30/11)
Minutes: 38, South Carolina-Upstate (12/11/11)