STILLWATER — Already returning a pair of stout big men, Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz added some variety in his frontcourt with the addition of 7-foot center Julius Halaifonua on Monday.
Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, Halaifonua is a 19-year-old transfer from Georgetown, where he spent the past two seasons.
Before coming to the U.S., Halifonua participated in 16 games at the NBA Global Academy in Australia in 2024, averaging 12.8 points per game and shooting 57% from the floor.
He played only six games at Georgetown as a true freshman in the 2024-25 season before suffering a season-ending injury. This past season, he averaged 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds, shooting 60.8% from the floor in 32 games with 28 starts.
Set to be a redshirt sophomore next season, the 7-foot, 260-pound Halaifonua joins a frontcourt with a pair of rising sophomores in 6-foot-10, 275-pound Benjamin Ahmed and 6-foot-11, 330-pound Mekhi Ragland.
The addition of Halaifonua brings OSU to 13 players for next season, with five arriving via the transfer portal, plus four high school signees to go with four returners.
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU basketball adds 7-footer Julius Halaifonua from transfer portal