IT HAS been logged flagged that guard Owen Foxwell is set for a breakout campaign with the SEM Phoenix during the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, and his performance in the win over the Sunrockers Shibuya furthered those claims.

In the Phoenix’s final preseason hitout ahead of the upcoming home and away fixture, they were pitted against the Sunrockers, who headed down under for a pair of clashes against South East Melbourne and the Perth Wildcats over the span of a few days.

The Phoenix came into the season with a void in the backcourt after the departure of Derrick Walton Jr over the offseason, and instead of searching the import market, have seemingly given more responsibility to the emerging talent of Foxwell.

At 22 years of age, Foxwell is starting to truly take advantage of the talent he possesses, and has emerged as a two-way threat with impressive scoring ability and active hands on the defensive end, having displayed this both domestically and at international level.

Against the Sunrockers, the guard was among the most influential players on the court as the Phoenix claimed the win, showing that he is more than capable of leading South East Melbourne as the distributor role.

South East Melbourne Phoenix (85) def. Sunrockers Shibuya (72)

Owen Foxwell – 13 points, three assists, four steals

Foxwell has adapted to the primary ball-handling role tremendously, moving into the starting lineup and looking destined to be the orchestrator of South East Melbourne’s offence, especially after another solid outing at Perth HPC on Sunday.

He started the match showing his playmaking nous, finding a cutting Jordan Hunter who threw down the dunk in the early stages of the game. Foxwell then used screens and an impressive change of pace to get to the basket and finish at the cup himself to show his own scoring ability. The 22-year-old remained involved by poking the ball free from Donte Grantham and scoring in transition to show he is capable of creating his own baskets.

A third layup followed shortly after, and Foxwell had racked up a quick six points in the first few minutes of the contest, before being subbed out midway through the opening frame having already put his team in a strong position.

He returned to the fold to start the second quarter, and repeated his first quarter feats with a nice dish to offseason recruit John Brown III, who nailed the basket as the Phoenix remained in control. After splitting a pair of free throws shortly thereafter, Foxwell continued to show off his passing prowess by finding backcourt teammate Angus Glover out on the perimeter as South East Melbourne kept rolling offensively.

Deja vu kicked in from the first quarter with the point guard again stripping the opposition of possession and finishing in transition with another layup, before repeating that feat on the very next play when the Sunrockers attempted to respond, with Foxwell stealing the ball and completing the fast break score. This time he did it through contact, although he could not convert shortly before being subbed out.

Foxwell was admittedly quieter in the second half, although his defensive presence was still felt in the third quarter with another steal that demonstrated his active hands. He played limited minutes after half time as the Phoenix cruised home to victory, cementing his placing as a likely breakout candidate in the coming months.

He finished the match with 13 points, three assists and four steals in 20 minutes of court time, shooting 5/11 from the field and proving extremely productive on both ends of the floor and showing why he is one to watch in the coming months.