Mark Pope needs to reach out to this elite freshman guard in the transfer portal

The transfer portal is not open yet, but players have already announced their intention to hit the portal once it does open on the 7th of April. One player who did announce his intention to hit the portal when it opens is Portland freshman point guard Joel Foxwell.

The 6’1 Australian point guard averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Pilots. The main concern fans will have with Foxwell is his shooting percentages. He shot 39.3% from the field and 31.9% from three this year as he struggled late in the year from deep.

Portland’s Joel Foxwell, right, shoots over Oregon’s Wei Lin during the first half at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Dec. 17, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some might look at these numbers and think this is the equivalent of getting Jaland Lowe from a lesser conference. That is an understandable thought, but the part that excited me about the game of Foxwell is how good of a passer he is. His 6.5 assists per game were 14th in all of college basketball this season, and his passes always seem to put his teammates in a position to score.

Now, an important thing to mention early in this article about Foxwell is that I don’t want Pope to bring him in as the starting point guard. I would want him to be the backup guard, knowing he still has three more years of eligibility. If he were the backup for Pope this year behind either Lowe or a veteran guard from an elite conference, he could develop and be the main guard going forward.

When arguing about Foxwell, his shooting percentages are very similar to Lowe’s, as he was the main offensive weapon for the Pilots, so he had to shoot the ball more than he would at Kentucky. If the Wildcats were to pursue and land Foxwell, he would be shooting the ball less while also taking better shots. This should improve his field goal percentages.

Foxwell will likely be one of the top recruits at the point guard spot in the portal, and I do think he would be a good addition as the second point guard for the Wildcats. For those who see the shooting percentages and don’t want Foxwell, I get it, but his passing and ability to get to the rim are elite.

It is still to be seen if Pope and the staff will even reach out to Foxwell, but he would be a great guard off the bench for the Wildcats to create a spark and get good looks for his teammates.

Portland freshman PG Joel Foxwell (@joelfoxwell) has been extremely impressive this season averaging 13.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 45.0 FG, 35.0% 3FG. Currently 6th in the entire country in assists per game. Showing early signs of becoming a big time player📈 pic.twitter.com/8wjiddYE1g
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) December 19, 2025