‘Those Freshmen Are Gonna Have a Chance to Play’: Lutz High on His Group of Rookies

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STILLWATER — In the modern landscape of college athletics, it’s probably easier for a fanbase to get excited about a transfer class, but Steve Lutz put together a traditional recruiting class that should have Cowboy fans pumped up for years to come.

The four-man class of Anthony Felesi, Parker Robinson, Latrell Allmond and Jalen Montonati ranked eighth nationally, according to 247Sports. That puts the class third in the Big 12 behind only Kansas and Arizona.

“Competitiveness,” said Lutz on what his freshmen have brought. “That’s huge to say that. All four of those guys, they’re in different positions, right? I think Jalen, for example, he’s been the best player in the state for the last couple years, and you come here and everybody’s got you by 20 to 30 pounds. So, he’s competing, but man, it’s just hard when you’re going against a guy that’s got 30 pounds on you.

“But not a single one of them has taken a backseat to any of these returners and these transfers. And those freshmen are gonna have a chance to play. I told each and every one of them and I’ve said it ad nauseam probably to you guys, I don’t care what grade you’re in or where you’re from or what your accolades are, my job is to put a winning product on the floor, and whoever is gonna help us win is gonna play. Practices are much, much more competitive, and that’s been fun.”

Robinson and Felesi met with OSU reporters for the first time Tuesday.

Felesi, listed at 6-foot-5, was the latest addition to the class. He initially signed with Pitt last November, but but come April he committed to the Cowboys and made it to campus. 247Sports considered Felesi the No. 35 player in the 2026 class.

He made an impact during the Cowboys’ three-game summer stint in Puerto Rico, where Felesi averaged 6.7 points, six rebounds, an assist and 1.3 steals in about 14 minutes a game.

Athleticism is something that stands out in his game. Returning point guard Kanye Clary said Felesi might be the best athlete he’s ever seen in person.

Felesi is roommates with Sam Houston transfer Kashie Natt, which is rather fitting. The two play a similar style and could make for a formidable set of guards on the defensive end of the floor.

“I don’t know that I’ve had two guys on a team blessed with that much athleticism, blessed with that much humility and blessed with that much competitiveness,” Lutz said. “It’s fun. It’s really fun.”

A 6-4 guard, Robinson joins the Cowboys from the coveted Overtime Elite league. His basketball IQ was a topic of Tuesday, with Lutz noting that Robinson had the highest cognitive test score in OTE’s history — a history that includes myriad NBA players.

Robinson played about 14 minutes a game in Puerto Rico and averaged 11 points, 1.7 boards and 2.3 assists a contest.

He played a little point guard in the Caribbean, which was somewhat new for him. The Cowboys have the likes of Clary, Jacob Walker (Sam Houston) and Luka Bogavac (North Carolina) who could run the point, but Lutz noted that with how fast he likes his team to play, you can never have too many ball-handlers.

“I’m still learning how to play the one (point guard),” Robinson said. “Never really played a whole lot of one in high school, playing with other talented guards. So, coming here, just trying to dive into film, ask a lot of questions, try to understand where everyone should be offensively and defensively.”

How much of an impact the Cowboys’ freshmen will make in Year 1 — with the best overall roster Lutz has put together to this point — remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn’t sound as if they are backing down for the competition.

“As a group, the four of us are all great basketball players,” Robinson said. “So, we definitely have a little bit of, like, iron sharpens iron. Like, we all think that we’re good enough to play, so going at each other every day in practice has been big for us.

“And then also, trying to prove to ourselves that we belong as freshmen. Nowadays in the college basketball world, it’s hard to be a freshman and get minutes and make an impact. So, I think keeping that in mind and just also knowing that we’re gonna hold each other accountable, we’re gonna come in and battle it out every day. It’s definitely like a group mindset that the four of us have.”