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Year 3 of Steve Lutz's tenure as head coach at Oklahoma State brings both upside and heightened expectations. On paper, this is arguably the most talented roster Lutz has assembled. During the offseason, OSU secured the nation's No. 12 transfer portal recruiting class and the No. 8 high school recruiting class. With the NCAA Tournament expanding from 68 to 76 teams, the expectation is for the Cowboys to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
Last season, defense held the Cowboys back. OSU allowed 83.2 points per game, which ranked No. 350 of 351 Division I teams. The Cowboys finished 20-15, earning a bid in the NIT and falling in the second round.
Here is a look at each player on the roster:
Benjamin Ahmed
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-10
What to know: Ahmed missed the first 10 games last season with a foot injury and started seven games after he returned in December. All four of his double-digit scoring games last season came in the month of March. He is a physical left-handed post presence.
Latrell Allmond
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-8
What to know: Allmond is the 11th McDonald's All-American in Cowboy basketball history. He was the No. 31 high school recruit in his class and a four-time high school state champion in Virginia. He averaged 22.7 points per game in high school and can score at all three levels.
Luka Bogavac
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Height: 6-6
What to know: From Mojkovac, Montenegro, Bogavac started 21 games last season for North Carolina and averaged 9.8 points. He led the Tar Heels in 3-pointers, knocking down 52 at a 34.9% clip. In OSU's Puerto Rico exhibition tour this summer, he led the Cowboys with 3.7 assists per game.
Jordan Burks
Height: 6-9
What to know: Burks, now on his fourth school, helped UCF break a five-year NCAA Tournament drought last season. He started all 33 games with the Knights and averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. Burks shot 37.3% from 3-point range last season and made go-ahead 3s in the final minute in wins against Kansas, Arizona State and Utah.
Kanye Clary
Position: Point guard
Class: Fifth year
Height: 6-0
What to know: The veteran point guard impressed in his first season at OSU last year with a 2.31 assist-to-turnover ratio. He became the 11th Cowboy to record at least 150 assists in a season. Clary earned a Bachelor of University Studies from OSU in May.
Ryan Crotty
What to know: Crotty is one of three returners from last season's freshman class. He appeared in 28 games and started 10, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds. Crotty was a strong 3-point shooter in high school, but shot 16 of 54 (29.6%) his freshman season.
Parsa Fallah
Position: Center
What to know: Fallah tore his ACL last February in what looked like his final season of college basketball. He received an injunction this fall and is eligible to play this season with OSU. Fallah won't be ready to play at the start of the season, but when he returns he provides a strong interior presence. Fallah started all 26 games last season and averaged a team-best six rebounds per game.
Anthony Felesi
Height: 6-5
What to know: Felesi is the most athletic player on OSU's roster. From Laie, Hawaii, Felesi played his high school basketball at Utah Prep Academy and was a consensus four-star recruit. He was OSU's leading rebounder in Puerto Rico.
Andrija Grbovic
Height: 6-11
What to know: Another player from Montenegro, Grbovic turned 23 in September. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in three exhibition games in Puerto Rico. He started 27 games for Arizona State last season.
Julius Halaifonua
Class: Junior
Height: 7-0
What to know: Halaifonua is only 7-footer on OSU's roster and turned 20 in May. He transferred from Georgetown where he appeared in 38 games over two seasons. Halaifonua was a four-star transfer portal recruit.
Jalen Montonati
Height: 6-7
What to know: The son of former OSU forward Brian Montonati, Jalen had a remarkable career at Owasso High School. He scored 2,000 points and was a two-time state player of the year. Montonati chose OSU over offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Alabama and others.
Kashie Natt
Height: 6-3
What to know: Natt was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year last season at Sam Houston. He led the conference in steals, double-doubles and defensive rebounds. In July, Natt received clearance from a Payne County court to resume basketball activities with OSU. He filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking a sixth season of eligibility because he started his career at JUCO Southern University-Shreveport. Natt played three seasons at LSU-Alexandria prior to Sam Houston.
Mekhi Ragland
What to know: Ragland appeared in 14 games last season as a true freshman, including six of the final seven. This summer, Ragland focused on losing weight and transforming his body. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the Puerto Rico exhibition swing.
Parker Robinson
Height: 6-4
What to know: Robinson is a four-star high school recruit from New Market, Maryland. He signed with OSU over offers from West Virginia, Illinois, Clemson and Cal among others. He averaged 11 points in the Puerto Rico exhibition trip and made five of 11 3-point attempts.
Jacob Walker
Height: 6-1
What to know: Walker was the Conference USA Sixth-Man of the Year last season with Sam Houston. He averaged 12 points and three assists in three games in Puerto Rico. Walker played with Cowboy center Mekhi Ragland in high school at Sunrise Christian Academy.
Ben Hutchens covers OSU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ben? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @benhutchens. Sign up for OSU Sports Minute newsletter to access more coverage of the Cowboys and Cowgirls. Support Ben's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State men's basketball roster: A look at coach Steve Lutz's 2026-27 OSU Cowboys.
Originally reported by yahoo.