[3] Washington's 2006 recruiting class of Pondexter, Spencer Hawes, Adrian Oliver, and Phil Nelson was rated amongst the top in the country.

As a freshman, Pondexter was selected as a starter in his first collegiate game at Washington, scoring 21 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in a 99–91 win against Pepperdine.

However, Pondexter once again began seeing increased playing time near the end of the season, in which the Huskies won 3 of their final 4 games, including wins over #24 USC[7] and #2 UCLA.

The departure of Oliver, paired with the loss of Hawes to the 2007 NBA draft and off-season transfer of Nelson to Portland State left Pondexter as the last remaining member of the previously heralded 2006 recruiting class.

Prior to his junior season, Pondexter was selected as a captain along with senior teammates Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon.

The source of some initial frustration from Washington fans, Pondexter steadily improved throughout the season as the Huskies climbed to the top of the Pac-10 conference standings.

In a key game against co-leader Arizona State, Pondexter delivered a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds in the Huskies 73–70 overtime victory.

In Washington's first-round game against Mississippi State, Pondexter lead the team to a 71–58 victory by scoring 23 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

[15] Prior to his senior season, Pondexter participated in the World University Games, helping the USA claim a bronze medal.

Pondexter was expected to replace the production of Jon Brockman, who had graduated following the 2009 season and was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 2009 NBA draft.

[18] The shot capped an 18-point, 11 rebound game for Pondexter, and advanced Washington to a second round matchup against the #3 seeded New Mexico Lobos.

[22][23] On December 24, 2011, one day before the start of the 2011–12 NBA season, the Hornets traded Pondexter to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Greivis Vásquez.

[31] Pondexter was slated to return in November 2015,[32] but after undergoing another round of left knee surgery on January 20, 2016, he was ruled out for the entire 2015–16 season.

[36] On September 1, 2017, Pondexter was traded, along with a 2018 second-round pick and cash considerations, to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.

[37] Despite missing all of preseason with a strained left hamstring,[36] Pondexter played for the first time since April 2015 in the Bulls' 2017–18 season opener on October 19, 2017, against the Toronto Raptors.

[43] Pondexter's father, Roscoe, was a third-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA draft and played professional basketball overseas.

[46] Pondexter holds an annual basketball camp in the San Joaquin valley, for boys and girls in kindergarten through 12th grade.