Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Oklahoma State Men's Basketball
Cowboy Basketball adds 7-footer Halaifonua
May 04, 2026 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State head coach Steve Lutz has announced the signing of Julius Halaifonua, a 7-foot center from Auckland, New Zealand, to the Cowboys' 2026-27 roster.
A four-star, top-50 transfer portal recruit according to On3, Halaifonua (pronounced "huh-LIFE-uh-noo-uh") arrives in Stillwater after two seasons with Georgetown, where he developed into one of the most efficient interior scorers in college basketball, averaging roughly 10 points in 20 minutes per game this season while shooting 61% from the field.
Lutz said:
"Julius gives us a different dimension with his size, skill and feel for the game. You don't find many 7-footers who can score that efficiently, make good decisions and play with the kind of poise he does at his age. He's still just scratching the surface physically, but his instincts and touch are already at a high level. We're excited about what he can become in our system and how he'll impact both ends of the floor."
Halaifonua's impact went beyond traditional box score numbers. Per KenPom, he led the Big East Conference and ranked 12th nationally in offensive efficiency among significant contributors (players with 20+ percent usage rates). He averaged 19.1 points per 40 minutes (12th on the league leaderboard), shooting 65% from inside the arc and 74.7% from the free throw line.
Halaifonua started 28 games and posted four 20-point outings, highlighted by a 22-point performance against St. Peter's in mid-December and a double-double in Georgetown's Big East quarterfinal win over Villanova at Madison Square Garden (21 pts, 10 reb).
Regarded as one of New Zealand's top young prospects, Halaifonua – who will turn 20 years old next month – spent two years at the NBA Global Academy Australia, competing against elite international talent. He made his senior national team debut at age 17 and was awarded the 2023 Ambassador's Trophy as New Zealand's national youth player of the year.
From 2022 to 2025, Halaifonua was a mainstay on New Zealand's junior national squads, logging 24 appearances across four separate event. He helped lead the Junior Tall Blacks to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup (its highest ever at the event)
Before reclassifying and enrolling at Georgetown in August 2024, Halaifonua was the No. 33 recruit (and third highest rated center) in the Class of 2025 with additional offers from North Carolina, Kentucky and others.
Julius Halaifonua
7-0 | Center | Auckland, New Zealand | Georgetown
Pronounced: huh-LIFE-uh-noo-uh
A four-star, top-50 transfer portal recruit according to On3, Halaifonua (pronounced "huh-LIFE-uh-noo-uh") arrives in Stillwater after two seasons with Georgetown, where he developed into one of the most efficient interior scorers in college basketball, averaging roughly 10 points in 20 minutes per game this season while shooting 61% from the field.
Lutz said:
"Julius gives us a different dimension with his size, skill and feel for the game. You don't find many 7-footers who can score that efficiently, make good decisions and play with the kind of poise he does at his age. He's still just scratching the surface physically, but his instincts and touch are already at a high level. We're excited about what he can become in our system and how he'll impact both ends of the floor."
Halaifonua's impact went beyond traditional box score numbers. Per KenPom, he led the Big East Conference and ranked 12th nationally in offensive efficiency among significant contributors (players with 20+ percent usage rates). He averaged 19.1 points per 40 minutes (12th on the league leaderboard), shooting 65% from inside the arc and 74.7% from the free throw line.
Halaifonua started 28 games and posted four 20-point outings, highlighted by a 22-point performance against St. Peter's in mid-December and a double-double in Georgetown's Big East quarterfinal win over Villanova at Madison Square Garden (21 pts, 10 reb).
Regarded as one of New Zealand's top young prospects, Halaifonua – who will turn 20 years old next month – spent two years at the NBA Global Academy Australia, competing against elite international talent. He made his senior national team debut at age 17 and was awarded the 2023 Ambassador's Trophy as New Zealand's national youth player of the year.
From 2022 to 2025, Halaifonua was a mainstay on New Zealand's junior national squads, logging 24 appearances across four separate event. He helped lead the Junior Tall Blacks to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup (its highest ever at the event)
Before reclassifying and enrolling at Georgetown in August 2024, Halaifonua was the No. 33 recruit (and third highest rated center) in the Class of 2025 with additional offers from North Carolina, Kentucky and others.
Julius Halaifonua
7-0 | Center | Auckland, New Zealand | Georgetown
Pronounced: huh-LIFE-uh-noo-uh
- Top-50 transfer portal recruit, per On3
- 130.0 offensive efficiency rating led the Big East and ranked 12th nationally among significant contributors (20+% usage), per KenPom.
- Per-40 Averages: 19.2 PTS (12th in Big East), 1.5 BLKS (8th)
- 60.8% FG / 65.2% 2Pt FG
- Former top-40 recruit; Trained for two seasons at the NBA Global Academy Australia
- New Zealand senior national debut at age 17
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