STILLWATER – Steve Lutz and Co. are looking to have some success this season in order to try and have some stability with the roster moving forward in this new era of college basketball with NIL and the transfer portal.
Now, success doesn’t/won’t always equal a stable roster as there will always be players who are either unhappy with their current playing time/money situation, or any other number of factors which will always be there.
Oklahoma State University Athletics
Robert Jennings II against Baylor last year.
As for this year’s roster, it looks nearly completely different from last year’s as only two scholarship players returned in Robert Jennings II and Andrija Vukovich. There have been seven transfers, three high school players and an older international freshman added. In keeping things with last year and this year different, this year’s roster has more youth on it. So, hopefully with success and wins comes more players willing to stick around after the season, allowing Lutz and Co. to create some stability.
Now, a good chunk of the youth is at the forward and center positions. Lutz brought in two high school bigs in Ben Ahmed and Mekhi Ragland, international freshman Lefteris Mantzoukis and transfer F/C Parsa Fallah to go with Vukovic who has improved physically from last year.
I’ve talked to someone close to the program who believes Fallah to be the main big right now based on experience, fitness and talent. But this summer will hopefully make it a much tougher position as the high school players get into better shape and used to the speed and physicality of the college game.
Oklahoma State Athletics
Fallah in practice.
Fallah checks in at 6-9, 260 pounds and is in Stillwater by the way of Oregon State. He averaged nearly 13 points per game as a junior for the Beavers on 60% shooting from the floor, with four rebounds and one assist per game.
“Parsa’s been great,” said Lutz. “He’s been one of those guys that’s tried to lead. He has an infectious personality, he doesn’t ever have a bad day when he walks in the room, he brings the energy level up. He adds to the room and he’s great. He needs to get a little bit better shape right now, but we expect big things from him. But I’m telling you, I really think that there’s gonna be a lot of competition along that front line. I really do because those two freshman, man, they don’t know what they’re doing yet, but there’s a lot of talent and a lot of ability. Then like you say, Mili [Vukovic] is coming back for his second year, so he’s lightyears ahead of where he was last year.”
Pokes Report
Ahmed on his official visit to Stillwater.
Both Ahmed and Ragland are roughly 6-10 and need to trim up, put on some muscle and get stronger. No one really knows what Mantzoukas can/will bring to the table as he won’t be in Stillwater for the foreseeable future to due student visas being paused. OSU is working with the state government and Washington to get it cleared up.
