Breaking Down Six Transfers OSU Basketball Has Reportedly Made Contact With

In modern college basketball, there is roster movement for every team — that’s especially the case when a team is going through a coaching change.

New Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz will be tasked with filling out more than a handful of scholarships this offseason. As of writing, Lutz has eight available scholarships since point guard Javon Small officially entered the portal Monday morning.

Lutz will bring his own style to Stillwater. His Hilltoppers played at a break-neck pace this past season, ranking first nationally in adjusted tempo. During his introductory news conference, Lutz said the goal is to get a shot up in the first 12 seconds of a possession. As to what types of players he is after, Lutz said it starts with character before going a little deeper on what he is looking for on the basketball side of things.

“You’ve got to be able to pass, handle and shoot the basketball,” Lutz said.  “You can’t play fast, you can’t play motion offense if you don’t know how to play basketball. It makes it really, really hard. Guys that can pass, shoot, make good reads and those sorts of things are really, really important. You got to have a high level of talent, but you also have to have a high level of character.

“After that, you have to have a lot of competitiveness to you because we’re going to face teams in the Big 12 and beyond – they’re going to be as talented as us. Heck, there might be a couple of nights where we face people that are more talented than us. What’s going to be the determining factor? We’ve got an opportunity to out-compete them and out-tough them on a nightly basis. You start with character. You look at talent. Then, you got to figure out those guys that are going to be a good fit for you and the program.”

Since officially taking over April 1, Lutz has reportedly been testing the portal waters for his new team. Here is a look at six portal players OSU has reportedly been in contact with since Lutz took over.

Micah Peavy, TCU

Height: 6-8
Weight: 215
Hometown: Cibolo, Texas
2023-24 Stats: 10.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.6 APG

Peavy has a ton of Big 12 experience, having spent the 2020-21 season at Texas Tech before playing the past three with the Horned Frogs.

He should have one year of eligibility remaining after his best season from a statistical standpoint to date. He started all 34 of TCU’s games this season and averaged career-highs in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game. He shot 31% from 3 and finished with a turnover-to-assist ratio of 1.51.

According to 24/7 High School Hoops, Peavy has also heard from Kansas, Kansas State, Houston, Arizona, Creighton, UCLA and others.

Jaquan Carlos, Hofstra

Height: 6-0
Weight: 170
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
2023-24 Stats: 10.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.3 APG

Jaquan Carlos has spent the past three seasons at Hofstra and made the CAA’s All-Defensive Team this past season. Carlos averaged double-digit points while shooting 34% from 3 and 89% from the foul line.

His assist numbers are what really standout. He averaged 4.8 as a sophomore last season before the 6.3 he averaged as a junior in 2023-24. His assists-to-turnover ratio this past season was 2.39.

According to 247Sports’ Dushawn London, Carlos has also heard from Texas Tech, Iowa, Washington, DePaul, San Diego State, Providence and West Virginia.

Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk State

Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
2023-24 Stats: 16.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.8 APG

Jamarii Thomas moved from UNC-Wilmington to Norfolk State this past season, and his scoring took off. Averaging 16.9 points a game while shooting 38% from 3, Thomas scored 20 or more points in 10 games this past season, putting up a season-high 31 against Illinois State. He is excellent at getting to the foul line, where he shot 81% this past season. He shot more than 15 free throws in three games this past season.

Thomas was the MEAC’s Player of the Year in his first season in the conference.

According to On3’s Jamie Shaw, Thomas has also heard from Iowa, VCU, Cal, Colorado, Cincinnati, George Mason, Arizona State and East Carolina.

Toby Okani, Illinois-Chicago

Height: 6-8
Weight: 210
Hometown: Orange, New Jersey
2023-24 Stats: 11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG

Toby Okani just finished his second season at UIC after starting his college career with a pair of seasons at Duquesne. He made the Missouri Valley Conference’s All-Defensive Team this past season, doing so by averaging 1.5 steals and two blocks a game.

He averaged a career-high 11.1 points a game this past season while shooting 32% from 3 and 57% from the foul line.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Okani has also heard from Gonzaga, Xavier, Clemson, UCLA, Florida State, BYU, Wisconsin and others.

Myles Foster, Illinois State

Height: 6-7
Weight: 235
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
2023-24 Stats: 12.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 APG

Myles Foster spent just one season at Illinois State, spending the first three seasons of his college career at Monmouth. He has averaged double-digit points per game the past two seasons.

He made the Missouri Valley’s All-Newcomer Team after a season in which he recorded eight double-doubles. Foster doesn’t shoot the 3, but he did shoot a career-best from the foul line this past season at 63%.

According to On3’s Jamie Shaw, Foster has also heard from Iowa, Xavier, Florida, Arizona State, Colorado, BYU and others.

Kolby King, Tulane

Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Hometown: Pompano Beach, Florida
2023-24 Stats: 10.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.8 APG

After starting his career in the Big East at St. John’s, Kolby King transferred to Tulane this past season and instantly made an impact on the American. King shot 38% from 3 as a sophomore. He scored in the 20s four times this past season, including a 22-point, 10-assist double-double in December.

According to On3’s Jamie Shaw, King has also heard from Michigan, Virginia Tech, Arizona State and others.