Keeping up with the Band of Brothers' Foxwells

• ‍Every Australian player in the 2026 Transfer Portal‍
• Tasmanian Jacob Furphy national championship dream shattered‍
• Hannah Wickstrom on the move with March Madness in sight

Former South East Melbourne Phoenix guard Owen Foxwell changed his mind about LSU and committed to the Wisconsin Badgers, freshman Joel Foxwell entered the Transfer Portal after standout season with the Portland Pilots and the youngest brother Austin Foxwell committed to the Pilots as part of the incoming class of 2026.

Australian basketball's Band of Brothers will all play college basketball in the 2025-26 season.

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

Joel Foxwell is leaving the Portland Pilots after earning WCC All-First Team and WCC All-Freshman Team honours in 2025-26 while Owen will join Australian sophomore forward Austin Rapp at the Big 10 Badgers.

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 2026.

Joel is one of more than 10 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”.

Owen had originally committed to LSU before the portal opened but "flipped" his decision to Wisconsin.

"Well, like when I flipped my recruiting from LSU after the coaching change, I was kind of just trying to find the right fit: play-style wise," Owen told Badger247.

"Obviously, the style I play is a very fast tempo, so that is what I was looking for.

"I was obviously talking with quite a few schools. And, I was talking with the Rapps to get a good gauge of the program and what was going on.

"And, all I heard was good things.

"It kinda came down with the people involved. It was hard not doing any visits, so, it came down to what I thought was the best fit, and talking with Aus was helpful.

"Overall, it was really good getting on the phone with those guys (at Wisconsin). The quality was really great, and the vibe of everything seemed awesome."

Owen Foxwell's Professional Career with South East Melbourne Phoenix

Year        Team                      GP   MIN   PTS   FG%   FT%   REB   AST   BLK   STL   TO    PF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2025–26     South East Melbourne      32   24.0  10.8  40.8  80.6  3.0   4.5   0.2   1.3   1.4   2.5
2024–25     South East Melbourne      33   16.6   8.1  47.8  78.5  1.8   2.6   0.2   0.7   0.6   2.5
2023–24     South East Melbourne      24   11.0   4.3  35.1  67.6  1.3   1.2   0.0   0.5   0.8   1.0
2022–23     South East Melbourne      17   16.4   3.8  36.2  61.9  1.7   1.3   0.3   1.2   0.8   1.8
2021–22     South East Melbourne       4   10.6   2.0  42.9  50.0  1.5   0.5   0.0   0.3   0.3   1.8

Owen Foxwell, 22, will make an immediate impact for the 25th ranked Badgers after five seasons in the NBL.

"The 6'2, 22-year-old is one of the NBL's best local guards, bringing high-level playmaking, winning experience, and toughness to the SEC next year," ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony said.

Analysis — Owen Foxwell’s Rise Inside the Phoenix System

Role clarity: from depth guard to organiser

Within the South East Melbourne structure, Foxwell’s jump wasn't just his minutes — it was trust and legitimate development.

• Early years: energy guard, defensive pressure, low usage
• 2025–26: on-ball organiser, initiating offence and managing tempo

That 24.0 minutes wasn't back-up minutes — it was functional impact and growth.

Playmaking fit Phoenix's identity

• 4.5 assists per game
• 1.4 turnovers

That’s exactly what college coaches want:

• Move it
• Don’t over-dribble
• Get team into actions

He’s developed and developing into a connector guard, not a ball-dominant scorer.

Efficiency dip = system + role shift

The FG% drop (47.8 → 40.8) aligned with:

• More on-ball reps
• Late-clock usage
• Increased defensive attention

Within Phoenix context, that often means:

• Taking tougher pull-ups
• Creating out of broken sets

This was usage-driven inefficiency, not regression.

Defensive piece held value in rotation

Foxwell’s stayed on the floor because:

• 1.3 steals per game
• Fouls stable despite increased minutes

For a Phoenix guard rotation, that’s key:

• Pressure at the point of attack
• Ability to disrupt without fouling

Why he fits with the Wisconsin Badgers

Foxwell is as a system guard you can build around, not necessarily as a star, but as:

• A starter-level organiser
• A low-turnover decision-maker
• A two-way role stabiliser

Every good NCAA Men's team needs one.

Owen Foxwell isn’t just developing — he’s becoming a reliable, heavy-minutes winning guard.

• Not a headline star
• But a winning guard profile

Joel Foxwell — Freshman Season Deep Dive

Awards & Recognition

• All-WCC First Team (Freshman)
• WCC All-Freshman Team

That alone tells the story: He wasn’t just good for a freshman — he was one of the best players in the conference.

1. Offensive Engine — Volume + Creation

Usage profile

• FG Attempts: 463 (1st in WCC)
• Minutes: 1210 (1st) │ 35.6 MPG (2nd)
• Usage: 25.9% (7th)

He led the conference in both minutes and shot attempts as a freshman guard.

Production

• 529 points (5th) │ 15.6 PPG (6th)
• Points Produced: 580 (1st)

No one in the WCC generated more total offence (scoring + assists impact).

2. Elite Playmaker — National Level

Passing dominance

• 221 assists
  • 1st in WCC
  • 13th in NCAA
• 6.5 APG
  • 1st in WCC
  • 13th in NCAA
• Assist %: 35.7 (2nd in WCC)

He wasn’t just initiating — he was responsible for over a third of his team’s made baskets.

3. Efficiency vs Load — The Trade-Off

Shooting profile

• FG%: 39.3 (9th in WCC)
• eFG%: .468 (9th)
• 3PA: 216 (3rd)
• FT%: 80.7 (9th)
• 1st in FGA‍
• Top 3 in 3PA

He took more shots than anyone in the conference — at a high degree of difficulty.

So the efficiency:

• Not elite
• Not poor given role
• Completely consistent with a high-usage freshman creator

4. Decision-Making Under Pressure

Turnovers

• 107 (1st in WCC)

At face value: negative.

But paired with:

• 221 assists (1st)
• 35.7% assist rate

This becomes: High-volume creator turnover profile — not reckless, but burden-driven.

5. Two-Way Contribution

Defensive production

• 50 steals (5th)
• 1.5 SPG (7th)

Not elite defensively, but:

• Active hands
• Good anticipation
• Contributes without gambling excessively

6. Rebounding & Guard Impact

• 123 defensive rebounds (16th)

For a 6'1 guard: Strong positional rebounding — helps finish possessions.

7. The Most Important Metric: Control

Assist % (35.7) + Points Produced (1st)

This defines his season:

He controlled Portland’s offence more than any other player in the WCC controlled theirs.

That’s rare — especially for a freshman.

Joel Foxwell’s freshman year wasn’t about efficiency — it was about control and responsibility at scale.

• #1 in assists (WCC)
• #1 in minutes
• #1 in total offensive production
• All-WCC First Team as a freshman