To conclude April’s live evaluation periods, a sizable contingent of college coaches and national media descended onto the campus of Legacy Sports USA located in Mesa, Arizona for Nike’s EYBL Session II.
Pro Insight was on-hand to cover the event and caught up with Jalen Montonati of MOKAN Elite (MO) and Owasso High School (OK). Montonati led MOKAN Elite to a 4-0 weekend in the desert, averaging 18.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on 55% shooting from deep. The 6’7” swingman is a prolific scorer with an impressive feel for the game. Already a USAB Junior Men’s National Team minicamp veteran, the rising sophomore is one of the best long term prospects out of the state of Oklahoma and should be heavily-sought after by Power Six programs, moving forward.
As part of the Pro Insight Q&A series, Montonati discussed playing for his dad at Owasso HS, the culture of MOKAN, his early recruitment update including interest from Overtime Elite, his dream NIL deal, and much more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2026 prospect Jalen Montonati, from Owasso, Oklahoma:
Pro Insight: How did you get to where you are today? Talk a bit about your background and family.
Jalen Montonati: I'm Jalen Montonati, class of 2026. I attend Owasso High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My dad is my head basketball coach there. He played at Oklahoma State in college and played pro overseas so he's kind of guided me throughout my whole life and my basketball career.
PI: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from your dad?
JM: Stay even-keeled. Never get too high or get too low. You have to put more time in than anybody to get what you want and get to where you want to be.
PI: Besides your dad, any other athletes in the family?
JM: My cousin plays college football and my sister played volleyball. So yeah, we're kind of an athletic family.
PI: Did you play any other sports growing up?
JM: I played football up until 7th grade and then I played a little baseball at the beginning of my early years.
PI: For those who aren’t familiar with your game, what are your greatest strengths and playstyle?
JM: A three-level scorer. I can score at all three levels, but I think the thing that separates me from most people is the way I approach the game in my mindset, coming into a game. You know, with the [ESPN] rankings coming out, being 13th, I know I got a target on my back every game I go into so just coming in prepared, focused and locked in.
PI: How do you get into that mindset of being locked in?
JM: I visualize. I do a lot of visualization, meditation. I do a lot of stuff on my body just to prepare myself for the moment.
PI: Who do you model your game after or study on film?
JM: Michael Porter, Jr. is one of them. Jayson Tatum. Kevin Durant. Probably those three the most.
PI: Describe your experience with MOKAN. What is the team culture like?
JM: Yessir. It's different here. Not a lot of the teams on the EYBL circuit lock into the defensive side of the game. I think we do that the most out of any team here, but you know through the seven teams, we're all just one big family and we're trying to all see each other win.
PI: Turning to your recruitment, what are your current offers?
JM: I hold offers from Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Kansas State University.
Editor’s note: Montonati received an offer from Tennessee shortly after the conclusion of EYBL Session II.
PI: Who would you like to hear from?
JM: Arkansas, Michigan. Kansas would be a good one, but any school that would be willing to come to me would just be a blessing.
PI: There are a lot more post-grad options available these days with G League Ignite, OTE, and NBL, among others. Have you and your family done much research into those opportunities?
JM: Yeah, Overtime Elite reached out back when I was at Pangos Camp this past year. My dad played overseas, so he has some connections there, so people were calling and asking about me there.
PI: What are your biggest interests outside of basketball?
JM: Probably just hanging out with my friends, going out to eat with my friends, playing video games, probably.
PI: Who are your favorite music artists?
JM: Ahh I'll go Drake.
PI: You have one hashtag to describe yourself. What is it?
JM: #JMont.
PI: If you woke up tomorrow to see an extra $1,000,000 in your bank account, what would be your first purchase?
JM: Oh, definitely a G Wagon. Yeah, that's my dream car. So definitely an all-white G Wagon, and then I'll probably get my mom a car.
PI: What is your dream NIL deal?
JM: Definitely Nike or Beats by Dre.
PI: Where do you see yourself in five years?
JM: Five years from now, I'll probably be preparing for the NBA draft. Hopefully, you know, getting selected by a team in the NBA draft.
PI: Name three words that best describe you.
JM: Funny. Caring. Killer.
PI: At the end of the day, what do you hope to be remembered for?
JM: Just a good guy off the court, giving back to the community will kind of be one of my big things whenever, you know, hopefully I make it big. So just giving back to the community and being a guy in the community that everybody loves and a guy in the basketball world that everybody loves.
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