Four-Star Center Prospect Details Relationship With Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State's basketball program is starting from scratch. After seven seasons under Mike Boynton's leadership, the program needed a fresh voice in the locker room. Boynton was an incredible recruiter, but he was unable to find results on the court to show for it.
Cue the Steve Lutz hiring, which was an incredible get for Oklahoma State. With three years of head coaching experience, Lutz has yet to fail to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Cowboys used to be a perennial tournament team, and reaching that level again is a priority for the program. While Boynton's recruiting ability will be missed, Lutz has the ability to swiftly rebuild programs and make the NCAA Tournament -- which leaves the program in good hands.
Watching the program's ability to land solid recruiting and transfer portal classes following the head coaching move is something to keep an eye on. Lutz could soon be in the mix for a solid four-star center from the DFW.
Jaden Toombs, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound center from Dallas, TX, could be a strong target for the Cowboys for the 2025 recruiting class. He recently updated On3's Jamie Shaw in his recruitment, confirming he wants to take a visit to Stillwater.
“I’m talking with schools like LSU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State about possible visits,” Toombs said.
The Cowboys are going to have the opportunity to gain an edge on Toombs' recruitment, but they're not going to be able to use on-court success as a selling point.
“I would like to commit before the year is over,” Toombs said. “Hopefully before the November signing period.
Lutz will be able to fill out his roster and have a future outlook of the program, but no history with the program to his name. Fortunately, a few key principles within the Lutz-led program are what Toombs is looking for.
"I want to go a school that will play hard and let me be me. Development will be big for me too. I would like to go to a place where I can go and use my full skill set while also being able to play really hard," Toombs said.
The Cowboys -- playing in the Big 12 -- have a big opportunity for development and improvement while competing at the highest level of college basketball. Oklahoma State could spark a relationship with Toombs now and use offseason workouts to try and convince the four-star center that Stillwater is the place to be.
“I just met them, they got a new staff, so we are just building our relationship," Toombs said of Oklahoma State. "So, I want to get out there. They like how hard that I play and the motor I play with. They like for their bigs to have a skill set, and they said that is what they like about my game."
Watching how Lutz navigates this new era, coaching in the Big 1interesting2 with a program in need of a turnaround will be intersting, and it'll start with recruiting after Lutz fills out his current roster.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022