Steve Lutz already has one of the bigger early-season questions in front of him at Oklahoma State, and it centers on a freshman who may have played his way into the mix.
Lutz wants to steer the Cowboys back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, and he said at Big 12 media days last week that he thinks this group might be his best offensive team yet. Defense, though, is still the project. That’s the area he believes can lift Oklahoma State after back-to-back seasons in the bottom half of the league.
What he’s learned through two scrimmages is that a lot of roles are still up for grabs before the season opener on Nov. 2. One of the biggest decisions now is how much run Anthony Felisi gets once the games count.
Felisi wasn’t the obvious freshman to force the issue. Four-star forward Latrell Allmond looked like the safest bet to see major minutes early. Felisi, a four-star guard who spent his final year at Utah Prep, showed flashes during the Cowboys’ tour of Puerto Rico, but his scrimmage work has pushed him further into the conversation.
Against New Mexico, Felisi logged 28 minutes and finished with 18 points and six rebounds. Against Tulsa, he played 29 minutes, scored 10 points and added four rebounds. He started that Tulsa scrimmage in place of Kanye Clary, who was unavailable.
That matters because Oklahoma State already has a crowded group of guards. Clary, Kashie Natt, Luka Bogovac and Jacob Walker all bring experience, and Felisi has to offer something the others don’t if he’s going to carve out a regular role.
The rebound numbers are part of the story. Felisi has 10 rebounds across the two scrimmages, which is not exactly the usual profile for a guard.
Natt grabbed 12 boards against Tulsa. Walker had five and has a reputation as a rebounder.
Bogovac brings spacing and 3-point shooting, not much in the way of glass work.
Felisi’s shooting hasn’t separated him yet. He didn’t take a 3-pointer against Tulsa and missed two attempts against New Mexico. Natt, Walker and Bogovac can all hit from deep.
What may be getting him on the floor anyway is the other end. Lutz described Felisi as a “tough, disruptive presence” on defense, and that kind of edge is exactly what he wants while trying to clean up that side of the ball.
The next test could come in the Wisconsin scrimmage, where Lutz may get a better read on how far Felisi can go this season. A five-guard rotation can create chemistry issues, and if Clary is not ready early, the picture gets simpler. Felisi would be needed.
If the roster is fully healthy, though, Lutz still has a choice to make. Felisi has done enough in the scrimmages to make himself hard to ignore, and he may already be at the point where he can matter right away.
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Ross fits the profile Oklahoma State has been chasing, especially with the program already holding two wide receiver commits and still looking for more size and physicality on the outside. At 6-4 and 200 pounds, he brings the kind of frame that stands out immediately, and his production this fall has only made him a more attractive target. What happens next in his recruitment will say a lot about how aggressively Oklahoma State can keep building at the position. [Read more 🡒]