UConn lands top Australian hoops prospect Jacob Furphy

Top Australian basketball prospect Jacob Furphy has committed to two-time defending NCAA champion UConn, he told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-5, 18-year-old is a left-handed wing from Tasmania, an island state of Australia. He developed at the NBA Global Academy in Australia, where he is known as an excellent shooter and passer, as well as a tough and competitive player. He has drawn comparisons to veteran Australian wing Joe Ingles of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who has called himself the “best shooter in the league.”
“I will be taking my talents to the University of Connecticut,” Furphy said. “I believe I have the style of play and work ethic to fit in seamlessly with the Huskies and their championship culture. I’ve already built great relationships with the coaching staff, which I think will serve as a great foundation to my continued growth as a player.”
Furphy, who is not related to former Kansas guard Jonny Furphy, visited UConn and then Illinois in September.
He averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds as Australia won the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in September. He shot 13-of-28 from deep during the event.
“I pride myself on my basketball IQ, which allows me to make great reads out of the pick and roll and create for myself and teammates, as well as my competitive nature to help impact winning,” Furphy said. “I’m also a confident shooter which helps space the floor.”
More than 115 NBA Academy participants have received NCAA Division I scholarships including Duke’s Khaman Maluach and Tyrese Proctor, Florida’s Alex Condon, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo and Marquette’s Ben Gold. NBA Academy alumni in the NBA include Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Bennedict Mathurin, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Johnny Furphy, Cui Youngxi and Alex Ducas.
“Jacob is a crafty 6′5 lefty with excellent court vision and a great feel for the game,” said Greg Collucci, NBA Director, Elite Basketball College Recruiting & Alumni Relations. “He plays with great pace, makes the right reads, can finish at the rim and is a quality 3 point shooter. His work ethic, ability to understand basketball concepts and character as a teammate will allow him to elevate and fit in seamlessly with any high-level program.”
Furphy is likely the final piece in UConn’s 2025 recruiting class. He complements elite guards Darius Adams, a New Jersey native, and Braylon Mullins, as well as 7-footer Eric Reibe.
“We’ve lost a lot of high-end talent,” UConn coach and New Jersey native Dan Hurley said last week at Big East Media Day. “I think that this recruiting class for us in ‘25 is to bring in high-end talent, players that potentially will be early-entry level players that we can bring in to this class that we identify that way in ‘25 and ‘26.
“We’ve just lost seven NBA players over the course of two years, which is a lot, so we gotta replenish that high-end, NBA talent, so Kimani [Young] and Luke [Murray], know what they’ve been tasked with.”
Hurley added: “If we keep getting the right type of people, we’re not gonna go anywhere.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.