OU basketball loses top in-state prize as Jalen Montonati joins Oklahoma State

On a day the Oklahoma Sooners’ football team got the two best 2027 prospects the state had to offer, the men’s basketball program missed out on the top 2026 in-state prospect to its Bedlam rival. 

Jalen Montonati, out of Owasso High School, announced on Thursday his commitment to the Oklahoma State Cowboys over the Sooners with a subtle shot to his Bedlam rival during his announcement.

Jalen Montonati commits to Cowboys over Sooners

It would have been a small miracle (or a major chunk of change) if Porter Moser was able to get Montonati to Norman instead of Stillwater considering his orange blood. Montonati is a Cowboy legacy with his dad, Brian, also playing for OSU under Hall of Fame coach Eddie Sutton. 

Former OSU coach Mike Boynton actually originally offered Montonati back in 2022 when he was a freshman, but even with Boynton getting fired and being replace by Steve Lutz, it seems like Montonati was going to be a Cowboy no matter who was in charge.

Montonati now plays for his dad at Owasso High School. The father-son duo led the Rams to their first state championship in 2024. He's also a two-time winner of the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year, and could get the honor for the third time as a senior.

Listed as a 6-foot-7 small forward, Montonati is a four-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s also the No. 58 prospect in the entire class. 

Montonati just visited OU on Sept. 6, when the Sooners’ football team beat Michigan in primetime. That atmosphere wasn’t enough to lure him away, though, and he committed to the Cowboys before even taking his official visit there next month. He also visited Kansas State already. 

Montonati also held offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, Tennessee, Michigan and more.

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