Two Incoming Badgers Ranked Among Big Ten's Best International Players

It's safe to say Wisconsin basketball brings in one of the nation's most stacked crop of international prospects this offseason.

The Badgers' current five-man freshman class features three players from Down Under: forward Isaac Riddle and guards Jackson Ball and Owen Foxwell.

The latter two, both of whom are expected to make an immediate impact in Madison, were listed among the top five incoming international players in the Big Ten by the national outlet Hoops HQ.

We ranked the Big Ten's top 10 incoming international players 👀

Read about each prospect here: https://t.co/RGfq91tNUu pic.twitter.com/R94PiGJ8n7
— Hoops HQ (@hhqsports) June 13, 2026

Maryland and Northwestern each have multiple selections on this list as well, but with two players in the top five, Wisconsin clearly has the best haul of international players en route to campus this summer.

Again, Riddle is widely expected to be a developmental prospect for Wisconsin, but the two backcourt pieces Ball and Foxwell should immediately earn key roles in Madison.

We knew both Ball and Foxwell were extremely promising, as both supply invaluable overseas experience and legitimate, well-rounded skillsets. Hoops HQ had very high praise for both players.

What to expect from Owen Foxwell

South East Melbourne Phoenix guard Owen Foxwell. | NBL

Hoops HQ described Foxwell as "even more polished" than his brother Joel who's coming off a First-Team All-Conference year at Portland, in addition to "providing an extremely rare skill set to the college game as a seasoned floor general and leader."

The article also mentions his defensive tenacity, something that was echoed by Badgers' associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft recently.

“The thing Owen talked about the most and the thing we’re most excited about is his intentionality and defensive prowess. He really takes pride on that end of the floor. He might not look it, and he understands that. He doesn’t care," he said this summer, appearing on The Swing.

Essentially, Wisconsin is getting a ready-made, professional point guard who could probably start for almost every program in America.

What to expect from Jackson Ball

New Zealand guard Jackson Ball | New Zealand guard Jackson Ball

While Foxwell's experience and veteran savvy are significant parts of his allure, Ball is simply a tantalizing prospect. The 6-foot-5 combo guard is a gifted scorer with a natural feel for the game. Hoops HQ describes him as "possessing a scoring ability that can't be taught," as well as a "score-first guard with plus size and innate instincts."

Again, that very much lines up with what we've heard about Ball all offseason, in particular from Krabbenhoft, who showered the New Zealander with similar praise.

“Jackson Ball’s got a really bright future. The expectations for him to come in and impact us early are warranted," he said. “When he came to visit us 16, 18 months ago, we were blown away at his size as a 16 to-be 17 year old…Really good guard skill, high IQ, tremendous shooter, but physically ready to go."

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