It Looks Like Steve Lutz Is Putting the Full-Court Press on Jalen Montonati

When the recruiting period opened earlier this month, Steve Lutz was apparently ready.

Lutz visited with Jalen Montonati, an OSU legacy and the top player in the state of Oklahoma, at midnight when the recruiting period opened this past Wednesday, according to Stock Risers Jake Weingarten. Then on Monday evening, without mentioning Montonati by name because that would be a recruiting violation, Lutz posted to social media that he was “On the hunt for the future of Cowboy Basketball in Owasso.”

On the hunt for the future of Cowboy Basketball in Owasso. Hard to miss this ride outside Waldo’s Chicken! pic.twitter.com/X2M69rf1jL

— Steve Lutz (@LutzSteve) September 9, 2025

The start of August was a quiet period on the NCAA’s recruiting calendar, meaning prospects could visit campuses, but coaches weren’t allowed to make in-person contact off campus. The stretch from Aug. 4 to Aug. 20 was a dead period, where prospects couldn’t visit campuses and coaches couldn’t visit prospects. But last Wednesday opened a recruiting period, where off-campus recruiting is allowed, and that’s when Lutz reportedly met with Montonati at midnight.

The Cowboys have been after Montonati seemingly forever, and now he’s finally a high school senior. OSU, under Mike Boynton, was the first Division-I program to offer Montonati a scholarship — doing so way back in September of 2022 when he had only just started his freshman year of high school.

Montonati scheduled his official visit to Stillwater for Oct. 18, the weekend of the Cincinnati football game. He has already taken visits to Kansas State and was at Oklahoma this past weekend.

The son of former OSU hooper Brian Montonati, Jalen is the No. 44 player in ESPN’s Top 100 for the 2026 recruiting class. He’s a 6-foot-7 smooth-shooting wing who averaged 15.8 points, two rebounds and 2.8 assists a game at Peach Jam this summer while shooting 38% from 3.

Playing under his father, he led Owasso to its first state title in 2024, scoring 34 points in the state final.

On top of success within the state and within the country, Montonati has an international gold medal, as well, as he was part of USA Basketball’s 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championships squad. He shot 41% from 3 at the event.

Aidan Chronister Another Name to Keep Watching

Lutz wasn’t done there, though, when the recruiting period opened.

The morning the period opened, PD Web shared on X that Lutz was at The New School in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Aidan Chronister is set to play his senior season.

Listed at 6-foot-8, Chronister is a four-star prospect who 247Sports lists as the No. 71 player in the 2026 class. He has an official visit scheduled for Oct. 18 — the same weekend as Montonati. He also has officials scheduled to Wake Forest (this upcoming weekend), Missouri (Sept. 20), Saint Louis (Sept. 27) and Arkansas State (Oct. 11).

Like Montonati, Chronister provides length on the wing and solid shooting numbers. During the first session of the Puma-sponsored PRO16 league this summer, Chronister shot better than 40% from 3.

Lutz and his staff offered Chronister back in April, and Chronister visited Stillwater on an unofficial basis in June.