STILLWATER – We’re about a week in the summer semester for Oklahoma State, with all members of the Cowboy basketball accounted for on campus. Head coach Steve Lutz met with the media on Tuesday afternoon for the first time since the end of the season to discuss a number of topics, including the incoming freshmen, transfers, cost of the roster and the schedule, including an upcoming team trip to Puerto Rico the end of July.
As we’ve reported on the site and on Triple Play Sports Radio, Oklahoma State has filed an extra year waiver for Parsa Fallah, as well as incoming transfer Kashie Natt.
Fallah’s waiver surrounds his time at Southern Utah, in which he dealt with knee injuries and mental health issues.
“Parsa is petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility because of some circumstances he had when he first came over to the United States,” Lutz said. “So, yes, I am holding the scholarship for him at this point.”
Lutz would go on to mention Fallah’s “doing great. Positive attitude, excited about the future — whether it be with us in basketball or he’s had some job opportunities presented to him here in Stillwater and beyond. So, he’s living the dream.”
As for Natt, he began his career at JUCO Southern University-Shreveport, before spending two seasons at NAIA LSU-Alexandria and one season at Sam Houston.
“I don’t have any updates,” Lutz said. “There’s been waivers filed with the NCAA, and then obviously depending on what they say, you obviously have to take it to the courts.”
He would continue, saying this about Natt: “He’s an unbelievable human being. He’s constantly bringing energy. He’s constantly bringing energy. Today, we started off practice … you get a towel, and you have to hold the towel over your head. And then you have to do step slides, defensive step slides, like old school. I’ve never really said you have to say ‘ball’ or you have to say whatever, and Kashie decided, ‘Hey, coach, we’re gonna call ball, ball, ball, ball.’ Well, it’s contagious, and he’s just got that personality. So, it’s been enjoyable.”
As for putting together a roster this offseason, Lutz said the biggest difference between this offseason and last offseason is money. “The biggest growth is, as I’ve said a couple times here today, is we’ve had more funds available for this year’s team, just plain and simple,” Lutz said. “I mean, we’ve been funded from an NIL standpoint in the bottom third of the league in years one and two, and we’ve improved that in this class, and that’s certainly helped us acquire more talent, and it’s helped us to acquire more pieces that fit us.”
