Joel leans into transfer portal and NIL payday

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• Every Australian in NCAAW basketball in 2025-26‍
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Coincidence?

Australian freshman phenom Joel Foxwell entered the NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal after his brother Owen committed to Max Mackinnon’s alma mater, the LSU Tigers in late February.

The younger Foxwell will leave the Portland Pilots after earning WCC All-First Team and WCC All-Freshman Team honours in 2025-26.

But the Pilots already have a "Foxwell" replacement next season because youngest brother Austin committed to go to Oregon as part of the Class of 2027.

"Just like that, all three Foxwell's are in the NCAA," basketball.com.au contributor and scout at Airtime Basketball, Michael Houben, said.

Joel is one of nine Australian men’s and women’s basketballers who have entered or signalled their intention to enter the transfer portal, created as part of the NIL structure that pays players for their “Name, Image and Likeness”.

Queensland Roman Siulepa declared his intention to enter the transfer portal on April 1, 2026.

The nine Australians are:

🇦🇺 Joel Foxwell — Height: 1.85m | Weight: 82kg | Class: Freshman | Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria

• Portland Pilots: Points 15.6 | Rebounds 4.3 | Assists 6.5 | FG% 39.3%

🇦🇺 Roman Siulepa — Height: 1.98m | Weight: 100kg | Class: Freshman | Hometown: Brisbane, Queensland

• Pitt Panthers: Points 10.0 | Rebounds 5.5 | Assists 0.9 | FG% 46.1%

🇦🇺 Chol Machot — Height: 2.13m | Weight: 86kg | Class: Sophomore | Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria

• Charleston Cougars: Points 8.9 | Rebounds 5.5 | Assists 0.2 | FG% 59.2%

🇦🇺 Emmett Adair — Height: 2.06m | Weight: 104kg | Class: Freshman | Hometown: Sydney, New South Wales

• Loyola Chicago: Points 14.6 | Rebounds 5.4 | Assists 1.0 | FG% 46.6%

🇦🇺 Fraser Roxburgh — Height: 2.01m | Weight: 98kg | Class: Sophomore | Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria

• Manhattan Jaspers: Points 11.0 | Rebounds 5.8 | Assists 1.1 | FG% 44.7%

🇦🇺 Hannah Wickstrom — Height: 1.78m | Class: Sophomore | Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria

• UC Riverside: Points 23.4 | Rebounds 7.3 | Assists 2.8 | FG% 48.5%

🇦🇺 Bonnie Deas — Height: 1.75m | Class: Freshman | Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria‍

• ‍Arkansas Razorbacks: Points: 10.2 | Rebounds: 9.0 | Assists: 2.6 | FG%: 32.0%

🇦🇺 Jessica Petrie — Height: 1.88m | Class: Junior | Hometown: Gold Coast, Queensland

• ‍Nebraska: Points 11.3 | Rebounds 4.8 | Assists 1.4 | FG% 44.9%

🇦🇺 Harriet Ford — Height: 1.91m | Class: Sophomore | Hometown: Perth, Western Australia‍

• ‍Duquesne: Points: 6.6 | Rebounds: 6.9 | Assists: 1.0 | FG%: 46.2%

Joel and Owen suiting up together for the Tigers, the college where former NBA All-Star and fellow Melbournian Ben Simmons reinforced his credentials as a future No.1 NBA draft pick a decade ago, is absolutely possible given the changed landscape of college basketball in the United States.

No further evidence is required, as Owen, who has played professionally for the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL, has signed with LSU in the powerful Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Joel averaged 15.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists for the Pilots, who are classed as a mid-major college. Entering the transfer portal signals his intent to move to a “major” program in a power conference, which LSU is.

Four women’s basketballers are also on the move: Wickstrom; Deas; Petrie; and Ford.

Wickstrom was the fifth leading scorer in women’s college basketball in her 2025-26 sophomore season at the mid-major UC Riverside, pouring in a career-high 23.3 points per game. She was named to the All-Big West First Team.

Her motivation to move to a major program was simple.

“I want to play pro, I want to develop my game, and I want to be the best I can be," Wickstrom said.

“I did everything I could at UCR, got my game to where I wanted it to be, and I think a new opportunity will be great for me. “

Former WNBL Sydney Flames development player and 2025 FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup silver medallist Deas was one of the leading freshman guard rebounders in the country for the Razorbacks in the SEC.

basketball.com.au will track all Australians entering the Transfer Portal ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Here’s the clean, basketball-first breakdown — no fluff, just how it actually impacts players and programs.

NIL & Transfer Portal — What they mean

NIL (Name, Image, Likeness)

NIL = players can get paid

What it is

NIL allows college athletes to earn money from their personal brand — without being paid directly by the school.

How players make money

• Sponsorship deals (brands, local businesses)
• Social media promotions
• Camps, appearances, merch
• Collectives (booster-funded groups supporting athletes)

Why it matters

• Top players can earn six to seven figures USD
• Mid-majors can now compete financially (to a degree)
• Players are no longer purely “amateur” in a financial sense

NIL = earning power + market value

Transfer Portal

Transfer Portal = player movement system

What it is

A central database where players can enter their name and transfer schools.

How it works

• Player enters the portal → other schools can recruit them
• No sitting out (in most cases — immediate eligibility)
• Happens every offseason (and mid-year windows)

Why it matters

• Rosters flip fast — year-to-year volatility
• Coaches recruit the portal like free agency
• Playing time + role = biggest driver

Transfer Portal = mobility + opportunity

How they work together

This is the key shift in college basketball:

• NIL = money
• Portal = movement

Together they create:

• A free-agent style market
• Players choosing based on:
  • Role
  • Exposure
  • Earnings

Australian lens (important)

For Aussies in the NCAA:

• Mid-majors → majors pathway
  • Perform → transfer up
• NIL gives:
  • Financial upside even outside power schools
• Portal gives:
  • Control over situation (minutes, system, fit)

Bottom line

College basketball is no longer static. It’s now:

• Performance → Portal → Pay (NIL)

That’s the ecosystem every player — including Australians — is navigating.