Jeff Borzello
Paul Biancardi
Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Senior Jalen Montonati, the No. 44 player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 basketball rankings, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Thursday, giving coach Steve Lutz his first top prospect since taking over the Cowboys in 2024.
Montonati, the top high school player in the state of Oklahoma, also visited Kansas State and Oklahoma, but the 6-foot-6 wing opted to play where his father suited up for Eddie Sutton in the late 1990s.
“In a time with so much portal recruiting, they made me a priority,” Montonati told ESPN. “The day after Coach Lutz got the job, he called me and expressed that I was a priority. The support and love from Coach Lutz and the staff was great all summer long. They attended all my games.”
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Oklahoma State made it clear to Montonati earlier this month that he was their top target with a late-night in-home visit on the first day of the recruiting period.
“When the September recruiting period opened, they came to my house at midnight. They wanted to be the first ones to see me,” Montonati said. “We have built a great relationship where we talk about basketball and life off the court.”
A product of Owasso High School (Oklahoma), Montonati averaged 15.8 points on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer for the MoKan grassroots program, including a 29-point performance against Brad Beal Elite at the Nike Peach Jam in July. Montonati also helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, pacing the team in 3-pointers.
Montonati is a shooter with length who is capable of getting clean looks against closeouts and in contested situations. He’ll be an immediate asset as an off-ball threat, someone who opens the floor for others and moves off screens.
He’s the first commitment for Oklahoma State in the 2026 class.
