Freshman watch: Five Aussies who stood out in 2025-26 NCAA Men's Division I
As March Madness continues, it's time to reflect on the 2025-26 NCAA Division I men's competition. Here are five Aussies who started their collegiate careers in style.
Over sixty Aussie men have suited up in the NCAA’s Division I this season, of which many were freshman entering the scene. While the NBA draft hype has been commanded by established players like Alex Condon, and to a lesser degree Oscar Cluff, several newcomers have shown signs that they will make a name for themselves in years to come. Here are five Aussie freshmen, and one sophomore who saw markedly increased playing time, that stood out in the 2025-26 NCAA men’s Division I season.
Joel Foxwell - Portland Pilots
20 year old Joel Foxwell landed in an ideal situation for a freshman guard, commanding hefty minutes from the get go for Portland. In an up-and-down season for the Pilots, where they ended on a 15-19 record and lost in the third round of the West Coast Conference, Foxwell was a shining light. The Victorian averaged 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, showing from day one that he was one of the premier guards in his conference. Foxwell led the nation in assists among freshmen, alongside Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas (who also averaged 6.5), and was named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team.
Foxwell has a polished handle for his age and is comfortable pushing the ball cost to coast in transition. He can score anywhere between the paint and the three-point line, although his 31.9% clip from downtown suggests some room for improvement. Foxwell particularly excels at using the backboard to sink layups, and his playmaking ability allows him to find open teammates when the opposing defence collapses upon him. With three years of college eligibility ahead of him, Foxwell is a candidate to enter the transfer portal, where he would be a highly sought after high major prospect.
Roman Siulepa - Pittsburgh
At 6’6 tall and with a well-built 99kg frame, Roman Siulepa is one of the most exciting teenage athletes on the Aussie hoops scene. The 19 year old routinely uses his physical strength to bully his way inside, which is unsurprising given his strong rugby background. Siulepa took some time to find his feet early in the season, but eventually became an integral member of Pittsburgh’s rotation, averaging 26.6 minutes per game. He posted averages of 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for the season, which is an encouraging start for a young freshman, although his shooting percentages don’t exactly jump off the page.
The biggest knock on Siulepa, since his junior career in Australia, has been a lack of shooting consistency from both the free throw line and three-point line. Siulepa has made just 50% of his 106 free throw attempts this season, and shot a less-than-stellar 29.6% from beyond the arc (on 3.0 attempts per game). It’s encouraging that he has the confidence to continue attempting threes, but to develop into a perimeter forward at the professional level, his jump shot will be a priority. Siulepa clearly has the physical gifts to succeed at the next level, as evidenced by his above-the-rim finishing and offensive rebound average of 2.9 per game, but at 6’6 he doesn’t quite have big man size. The 19 year old would do well to morph his skillset into that of a wing.
Emmett Adair - Loyola Maryland
Emmett Adair had a distinguished career at junior level, winning MVP honours at the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup, so it’s no surprise that he has started strongly in Division I college basketball. The 6’9 forward has been an integral player for Loyola Maryland in the Patriot League, averaging 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in just 25.4 minutes per game. His role slowly increased throughout the course of the season, to a point where he logged 31 minutes in the Greyhounds’ last game of the season proper, a quarterfinal exit in the Patriot League championship. Loyola Maryland struggled to find consistency throughout the year, slumping to a 12-20 record, but Adair proved to be a fantastic recruit.
Adair does his best work in the paint, where he is an accomplished interior finisher and a prolific offensive rebounder. While is rebound average of 5.4 per game isn’t eye-popping, over 40% of these were corralled on the offensive glass, highlighting his ability to compete for second chance points. Adair also averaged 5.3 three-point attempts per game, in a sign of his development into a stretch big. He only sunk 31.5% of these attempts, but an underlying free throw clip of 81% suggests that he has the shooting potential to become a perimeter forward. It was recently announced that Adair is entering the transfer portal, and a move to a high major school may be on the cards. The Patriot League All-Rookie forward has plenty of college basketball ahead of him, and right now projects as one of Australia’s top perimeter big man prospects.
Abass Bodija - Fordham
Power forward Abass Bodija has proven he belongs in the Fordham rotation, averaging a touch under 20 minutes per game in his rookie year. Bodija has averaged 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in an encouraging start to his collegiate career, although like most names on this list, has also struggled to find team success. The Fordham Rams finished on a 17-15 record and were knocked out of the Atlantic 10 tournament in just the second round, so Bodija will be chasing postseason wins next season. Bodija had previously transferred from UC Riverside as a redshirt freshman, and this proved to be a shrewd decision, with Fordham head coach Mike Magpayo finding room for him in the regular rotation. The 21 year old has also been able to play alongside countryman Roor Akhuar, a true freshman.
At 6’10 tall, Bodija excels in the paint, and maintained a 78% clip from the charity stripe this season. He is still developing as a three-point shooter, with 33.3% success rate on a low sample size of 0.8 attempts per game. The Brisbane native will be hoping for an increased role next season, and if he shows that he can spread the floor, his stocks will continue to rise. Bodija boasts a 7’4 wingspan and applies his length to good use on the boards, with an average of 1.9 offensive rebounds per game. Professional scouts will also be scrutinising his potential as a rim protector, in addition to his continued development as a scorer and rebounder.
Roor Akhuar - Fordham
Roor Akhuar was recruited to Fordham alongside Bodija, and has wasted no time in making an impact on his new team. Akhuar has the body of a wing at 6’7, and from his shooting profile, it’s clear he aims to develop into a perimeter swingman. The 18 year old is younger than everybody else on this list, but has proven he belongs in Division I basketball, averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds for Fordham. Over 70% of his field goal attempts have been three pointers, and he has shown an impressive clip of 37.2% from downtown.
The Rams hasn’t used Akhuar much as a slasher or a driver, and as a result, we’ve barely seen him at the foul line. Akhuar has made five of his eleven free throw attempts (46%) for the season, but it’s far from alarming given the small sample size. He has also shown potential as a rebounder, with over one third of his boards corralled on the offensive glass. Akhuar’s age makes him one of the most exciting Aussie prospects in Division I college, as many of his compatriots start their freshman year at the age of 19, 20 or even later. Scouts will be keeping a close eye on Akhuar’s defensive abilities, as he currently projects as a “3 and D” prospect at the next level. With added experience his coaches may also entrust him with increased ball handling responsibilities, or ask him to attempt more drives from the perimeter.
Joshua Dent - Saint Mary’s (honourable mention)
Joshua Dent is a sophomore rather than a freshman, but he finds himself in a similar age group to the other names on this list. Also, Dent saw very little playing time as a freshman, averaging just 3.5 minutes. The 2005-born prospect saw an explosion of minutes this season, in his second year at Saint Mary’s - a school famed for their pipeline of Australian talent. Dent averaged 13.0 points and 5.7 assists in a whopping 36.2 minutes per game, thus proving himself as the go to floor general for Saint Mary’s. The young guard has shown remarkable growth as a shooter, making 40.1% of his three-point attempts this season (on 4.4 attempts per game), while maintaining a 91.8% strike rate at the foul line.
Dent experienced considerable team success with Saint Mary’s, who finished on a 27-6 record and shared their conference regular season title with heavyweights Gonzaga. However, the Gaels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament, giving Dent and his returning teammates plenty of motivation ahead of next season. The 20 year old still has two years of college eligibility left, and could go down as a Saint Mary’s legend, much like Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills or Jock Landale before him. It’s clear that longtime head coach Randy Bennett trusts him to run the point, giving Dent a platform to really put up numbers. Dent’s efficiency will definitely draw the interest of professional scouts, and right now he projects as a high level point guard prospect at the professional level.
Honourable mentions continued
Ethan Elliott (Northern Kentucky) - Started 31 of his 32 games for Northern Kentucky, and entrenched himself as a starting guard, averaging close to 30 minutes. Elliott averaged 5.1 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds, showing potential as a playmaker, but scoring efficiency remained a challening. He finished on shooting splits of 33.5% from the field, 25.6% from downtown and 48.6% from the foul line, suggesting plenty of room for improvement in this area.
Harry Beauchamp (Central Arkansas) - Averaged 4.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in limited minutes. Showed impressive scoring efficiency with a clip of 43% from three point range (2.5 attempts per game) and 85.7% from the free throw line. The vast majority of Beauchamp’s shot attempts were three pointers, indicating that the 6’5 Victorian will develop into a quality off-ball shooting guard.
Jesse McIntosh (South Dakota) - Averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds for the 16-16 Coyotes, with a gradual increase in his role throughout the season. Injuries hampered his progress, but the young guard will be a prospect to watch in years to come. He only shot 29.8% from beyond the arc, but did post a 82.4% clip from the foul line, which is an encouraging sign for his underlying shooting mechanics.
Ben Waller (UC Riverside) - Season averages of 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds don’t quite capture Waller’s rise through the Highlanders’ depth chart. The talented guard from Traralgon saw increased minutes in the back end of the season, and scored in double figures in three out of his last five matches. He will be one to watch in year two, if UC Riverside’s coaching staff continue to trust him with an expanded role.