2026 5-star SF Jalen Montonati Talks Recruitment, Player Comparison

Owasso star, who is the No. 1 rated player in Oklahoma speaks at City of Palms
Owasso (Oklahoma) star Jalen Montonati talked with High School On SI following his team's appearance in  the City of Palms on Saturday.
Owasso (Oklahoma) star Jalen Montonati talked with High School On SI following his team's appearance in the City of Palms on Saturday. / Owasso Boys Basketball Instagram

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – Owasso (Oklahoma) 6-7 junior small forward Jalen Montonati had one of the most efficient outings of the tournament on Friday night against High School on SI’s No. 17 ranked team in the country Oak Ridge.

Montonati finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, 3-of-7 from the 3-point line, and 3-of-5 from the free throw line in the 73-50 loss to Oak Ridge on Friday night.

Montonati broke down the four leaders so far in the early stages of his recruitment, with High School on SI

Right now, I am just taking it day-by-day and one step at a time as it’s still in the early stages of my recruitment,” Montonati said. “The four schools so far in the lead are Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State,” he added.

Montonati on Indiana

“Playing at a historic venue would honestly bring me a lot of joy to where I’d be able to compete as well as fit in right away.”

Montonati on Kansas

“I’ve been there three times already; it’s a great college town and when you see Allen Fieldhouse it’s one of the greatest places in college basketball.” I’ve also had a great relationship with Coach (Self) where he’s been good to me and my family since they offered me as a sophomore.”

Montonati on Nebraska

“Playing under a legendary coach like Coach (Hoiberg), where he coached and played at the collegiate as well as the NBA level, has been a dream of mine.” Just hearing his words of encouragement and giving me great advice.”

Montonati on Oklahoma State

“I’ve grown up around the program, seeing a lot of coaches through the years, and continue to build a great relationship with Coach (Lutz) and his staff.”

Montonati on Oklahoma

“Just being close to home and they’ve been extremely supportive of me since the start of my freshman year, my relationship with Coach (Moser) and Coach (Humphrey) has been really good as well.”

Montonati is planning on making an official decision on where he will be playing college basketball next fall before the start of his senior season.

Who Would You Say Is Your NBA Comparison?

“I would say I compare my game to Klay (Thompson) with my shooting ability, but I could also say my game is very similar to Jayson (Tatum) with my mental toughness and just playing the game the right way.” He’s been a winner recently and hoping I can help lead my team to the same goals.


Published
Ross Van De Griek
ROSS VAN DE GRIEK

Ross Van De Griek has been a high school sports writer covering the state of Florida since 2021. Ross also has been scouting high school basketball and Grassroots Basketball across the Southeast Region since 2022. Ross has been covering basketball and recruiting for High School on SI since August 2024. He has collaborated with Next Up Sports, Prep Hoops, and On The Radar Hoops throughout his scouting career. You can follow him on X @rossvdg14 or reach him via email rossvdg14@gmail.com for story ideas.