MBB | McConnell Signs Aussie Luke Fennell Out of the Transfer Portal
4/22/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — First year head coach Mickey McConnell continues to piece together his first transfer portal recruiting class, and has added the likes of Luke Fennell. A 6-6 guard out of Melbourne, Australia, Fennell spent his freshman season in the ACC at Syracuse, and now looks to continue the rich tradition of Australian standouts in Moraga.
"We are excited for Luke to join us, where he will follow in the footsteps of many great Australian guards who have come through our program," stated McConnell, "His combination of size, skill, and versatility on the perimeter will be a great asset for our team."
As a true freshman for the Orange, Fennell appeared in 10 games. He scored his first collegiate bucket while ripping down a season-high three boards in his debut against Binghamton, and dropped a career-high six against Drexel a little less than two weeks later.
Like many Gael greats before him, Fennell is a product of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence. While at CoE, Fennell played alongside current Gael PG Joshua Dent, where the duo combined to average 23 PPG in the 2024 campaign. In his full three years at CoE, Fennell averaged 12.7 PPG and shot 45.2% from the field, 39.4% from three and 82.6% from the stripe.
Fennell represented his country at the U18 and U19 levels in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup and the 2025 U19 World Cup. In the U18 Asia Cup, Fennell helped lead his team to a gold medal, averaging 11.8 PPG, including a tournament best 24 points, five rebounds and four assists in the semi-finals against Jordan. In the U19 World Cup, Fennell helped Australia to a sixth place finish in the 16 team tournament, averaging 10.6 PPG and going 16-for-33 from beyond the arc. Fennell had a pair of 18 point showings in that tournament, going 4-for-6 from three in his 18 point quarterfinals against Germany, and 5-for-10 from three in his 18 point fifth place game against Canada.
Coming to the American collegiate game in 2025, Fennell was considered a four star prospect by 247Sports, and was the number two rated player coming out of Australia, behind only CoE teammate Jacob Furphy. He will join a Gael roster that will feature fellow Aussies Joshua Dent, Rory Hawke, and incoming freshman Flynn Pavely (also a former CoE teammate).
#GaelsRise
"We are excited for Luke to join us, where he will follow in the footsteps of many great Australian guards who have come through our program," stated McConnell, "His combination of size, skill, and versatility on the perimeter will be a great asset for our team."
As a true freshman for the Orange, Fennell appeared in 10 games. He scored his first collegiate bucket while ripping down a season-high three boards in his debut against Binghamton, and dropped a career-high six against Drexel a little less than two weeks later.
Like many Gael greats before him, Fennell is a product of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence. While at CoE, Fennell played alongside current Gael PG Joshua Dent, where the duo combined to average 23 PPG in the 2024 campaign. In his full three years at CoE, Fennell averaged 12.7 PPG and shot 45.2% from the field, 39.4% from three and 82.6% from the stripe.
Fennell represented his country at the U18 and U19 levels in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup and the 2025 U19 World Cup. In the U18 Asia Cup, Fennell helped lead his team to a gold medal, averaging 11.8 PPG, including a tournament best 24 points, five rebounds and four assists in the semi-finals against Jordan. In the U19 World Cup, Fennell helped Australia to a sixth place finish in the 16 team tournament, averaging 10.6 PPG and going 16-for-33 from beyond the arc. Fennell had a pair of 18 point showings in that tournament, going 4-for-6 from three in his 18 point quarterfinals against Germany, and 5-for-10 from three in his 18 point fifth place game against Canada.
Coming to the American collegiate game in 2025, Fennell was considered a four star prospect by 247Sports, and was the number two rated player coming out of Australia, behind only CoE teammate Jacob Furphy. He will join a Gael roster that will feature fellow Aussies Joshua Dent, Rory Hawke, and incoming freshman Flynn Pavely (also a former CoE teammate).
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
MBB | Highlights from Mickey McConnell's Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Mickey McConnell Introductory Press Conference, 3-25-26
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Liam Campbell, Joshua Dent and Randy Bennett Postgame Interview vs Texas A&M, 3-19-26, presented by University Credit Union
Thursday, March 19
MBB | Harry Wessels, Joshua Dent and Rory Hawke Featured on ESPN Australia
Wednesday, March 18
