PFB+ Q&A: New OSU Commit Mekhi Ragland Talks Commitment, Journey and More

The Cowboys got a boost to the future of their frontcourt on Tuesday with the commitment of center Mehki Ragland.

Ragland pledged to Oklahoma State after an official visit this past weekend. He had a top five in August of OSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia State and DePaul. He spent the past two seasons at Berkmar High School in Georgia, but he is set to play his senior season up the road from Stillwater at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas after recovering from a foot injury.

Ragland spoke with PFB over the phone on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his commitment and give Cowboy fans an introduction to him.

PFB: Why Oklahoma State?

Ragland: “I chose Oklahoma State because me and Coach (James) Miller (OSU’s associate head coach), me and him have known each other for almost two years now. When he was at Mississippi State, that’s when he first started recruiting me, and at this point it was just like family with me and him. So I knew from the beginning like wherever he went, I knew I wanted to go because he made me feel welcome.

“And Coach Lutz, he’s your ideal coach. He’s gonna be hard on you. He’s gonna push you because he wants the best for you. But off the court, he’s a great guy, someone you want to be around. So that’s just another appealing factor. And it’s the Big 12. It’s the best basketball league in the country, I would say.  That’s where you get the most exposure, so it’s like, why not take that opportunity?”

PFB: What were your first interactions with Coach Miller like? You mentioned you’ve known him for a long time.

Ragland: “Me and his first interaction was actually on my 16th birthday. He came when I was at my previous school, Berkmar High School (Georgia). He came to watch our team play in a summer league, and that’s when he reached out to me. We’ve been close ever since, communicating almost every day. He’s helped me a lot through these past two years, giving me advice and just guiding me. I always know I can come to him if I have a problem.”

PFB: How was your visit?

Ragland: “I was supposed to come a couple weeks ago, but then I broke my foot. So, I had to have surgery, so I couldn’t come. But this weekend, it was a great weekend. It felt like it could be home for me. I was with the current team. They were great guys. They made me feel welcome. The way they practice, their playstyle, I just love the way they play. I feel like it’s gonna benefit me. I just know I gotta put in a whole lot of work, but when that work gets done, I’ll be ready.”

PFB: What were some of your favorite parts from the visit? Where’d you get to eat?

Ragland: “We went to this place called Granny’s. That was a good place, breakfast spot. Got some Oreo pancakes. We went to this place called Da Vinci’s. It was like this pasta, Italian restaurant. That was good, too. That’s some of my favorite food, Italian, like pasta and pizza and all that.

“I would say my favorite part was definitely the atmosphere of the football game. It was a great time tailgating with the team and everyone’s family. That was cool. It wasn’t awkward. It felt like I had been there before even though I met all of them for the first time. So that was cool.

“The facilities, obviously — the locker room and the gyms and all that. I think it was cool about the hardwood being there ever since they first built it. I thought that was pretty unique. Everything was just nice overall.”

PFB: Who were some of the players you were hanging out with and what did you think of them?

Ragland: “The one I was with the most was Abou (Ousmane). He’s from New York, actually, so me and him — I’m from New Jersey originally — so me and him shared that common ground. He was asking me questions. I was asking him questions. And we just bonded from there.”

The rest of this interview can be seen on our forum with a PFB+ subscription here.