Oklahoma State Basketball

Marcus Smart put off making millions for at least one year by deciding to return to Oklahoma State, and we think he’s crazy.

How could he take that risk? How could he turn down that money? Who is advising this guy?

The system is set up so players like Smart should cash in before an injury, or time tells the NBA that this potential star might not be a star anymore, and that’s the risk that sends anyone with a chance to live the dream on their way.

Smart decided to be different and he decided to bet on himself. We should applaud him for that. We should not question why he would do it. We should question why more players don’t do it.

The list of players that bet on themselves is much smaller than the one of players that choose to go for the green, and it’s understandable. Put in the same situation, it would be difficult to turn down the instant gratification.

But this is what we forget—the money is still going to be there after a year. Blake Griffin was in a similar position to Smart after his freshman season, and he was the No. 1 pick after his sophomore year. Florida’s 2006 championship team returned to school, won another title and the money was still there. Tim Duncan kept putting off the NBA year after year after year, and his career has turned out all right.

This is a different era than Duncan played in, but that’s another reason to stay. The risk that an injury will end a career is not what it used to be. We just witnessed Adrian Peterson tear his ACL, return to the football field less than nine months after surgery and nearly break the all-time rushing record. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel tore his ACL in February and he could end up as the No. 1 overall pick in June. 

Career-ending injuries for 19 and 20-year-old basketball players are rare, and if the very worst happens and Smart gets hurt as a sophomore, he should be able to return. 

Should be able to…. is a risk, and that’s why we question this. But we also question why others “who are not ready yet” leave, and who are we to tell Smart that he is ready if he doesn’t feel the need to go just yet?

"I'm aware of how much money I'm giving up," Smart said at Wednesday's press conference. 

The reasons are there to stay. Smart was not a point guard in high school and he has only spent one season at the position that he will play in the NBA. Learning the game at the college level where he can continue to make mistakes is advantageous to his future as a pro. It’s advantageous to the team that eventually does draft him in the NBA.

It’s hard to imagine that Smart could grow as a leader, which seems utterly ridiculous to say about a 19-year-old freshman. But Smart is not the average 19-year-old, and we know that now that he’s made this decision.

If you have not read Eric Prisbell’s feature on Smart in the USA Today from January, I suggest you do so now. Reading that story again makes this decision seem like one we should have predicted.

Smart spent part of his childhood filled with rage and anger, and he rebelled. Smart told Prisbell about throwing a rock from the top of a building at a guy on a bike who turned out to be a gang member. That day Smart, 12 at the time, ran for his life as the gang member chased him with a gun in his hand. Smart also lost a brother to cancer and almost lost another to drug abuse and gang life.

Smart told Prisbell:

People always ask me, 'How are you so humble?' When you go through things like I have, there's only one way for you to be. Life is not a game. This is a cold world out there—the world is very cold—and if you don't learn things and understand things, this world can eat you up.

The NBA can also be a cold place and can eat you up. Smart likely would have played for a loser next season if he had declared, and if he had not performed, he could have been sent to the D-League.

That’s hard to imagine for a player of Smart’s abilities, but it’s also hard to go from a star with the power to turn a loser into a winner to just a player with potential…to a player without that power to change. Very few players not named LeBron James can influence the outlook of a franchise on their own. It takes time and multiple assets to turn a franchise around. Once Smart gets in the NBA he’ll be part of a process.

At Oklahoma State, he has the power of influence. We witnessed that this past season. Smart played for a coach who has never had great defensive teams and his presence, abilities and energy turned Oklahoma State from a loser into one of the best defensive teams in the country.  The Cowboys went from postseason-less and 15 wins to 24 victories and an NCAA tourney bid.

This may sound a little hyperbolic, but if you watched the Cowboys before Smart and you watched them with Smart, it became obvious that team simply played harder because Smart was there.

Smart was joined at Wednesday’s press conference by teammates Le’Bryan Nash and Markel Brown, two others who also decided to come back to school and put off making money. Their stock was not as high as Smart’s, but in a weak NBA Draft, it seems that everyone with potential to get drafted is taking the chance.

Smart and his teammates are instead taking the chance that they can make history at Oklahoma State. They will be the favorites to end Kansas’ run of nine straight Big 12 titles. It’s tough to bet against Bill Self even when he loses all five starters, but it’s also tough to bet against Smart and an OSU team that only graduates one player in the rotation.

The Cowboys should be a preseason top 10 team, and they have the chance to have a magical season in Stillwater. Smart also gets to spend another year in college. He gets to spend another year in a town where people adore him.

In Prisbell’s story, Smart’s brother Michael told him something important as a child:

You go down a different path. It's called a straight arrow. People want to call you a punk or different? You be different. I promise you, six years later when you look back, see who is different and who made a difference.

People want to call Smart crazy for putting off the NBA. That’s silly. The money is still going to be there, and Smart’s going to be better for it.

College basketball and the NBA should hope he succeeds, because college basketball and the NBA would both be better if more players decide to bet on themselves like Smart.

He decided to be different. He could make a difference. 

There aren't many people who can say they turned down millions of dollars, but Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart became a member of that small group on Tuesday. 

As originally reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Oklahoma State guard had decided to forgo the 2013 NBA draft and return to school for his sophomore season:

For most, this is a move that came completely out of left field. Smart was considered a top-three pick in June's upcoming draft, with the possibility of moving even higher depending on how the lottery played out. ESPN's Chad Ford, who had Smart second on his Top 100 players list, noted how rare the young guard's decision was:

Puzzling as the decision may be, it's impossible to criticize Smart with any fervor. We so often vilify this one-and-done system, which essentially boils down to the NCAA acting as a feeder system for the NBA. It's a one-year minor league, and there have been countless pounding-on-the-table talking heads who have made such a point.

So Smart returning to the school is commendable. He gets to work another calendar year toward his degree, which is a positive. He returns to play with fellow Oklahoma State guard and best friend Phil Forte. And let's not forget Smart returns to Stillwater as a hero, a player who will be deified for his decision to turn down NBA millions in pursuit of a national championship. 

What is undeniable, though, is that Smart has also placed a ton of pressure on his young shoulders. As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress points out, NBA scouts are going to be expecting an awful lot of Smart upon his return to Oklahoma State:

More specifically, scouts will expect Smart to come back with a vastly improved offensive game. Though he was projected as a top-three lock, there were few who saw Smart as anything resembling an instant contributor on offense. He shot only 40.4 percent from the field, including 29 percent from distance, and averaged about one more assist per game than turnover. 

Scouts were enamored, though, with Smart's toughness on defense, his willingness to do anything to win and his potential as an NBA-style point guard. Smart doesn't have the size issues of Trey Burke, the National Player of the Year who will ascend to top-dog status among point guards in June. Nor does Smart have the massive injury cloud hanging over him like Nerlens Noel, the likely No. 1 pick who tore his ACL in February. 

Had things fallen the right way on lottery night—with the Orlando Magic winning—it's possible that Smart could have gone No. 1 overall. Orlando needs a long-term replacement for Jameer Nelson, has a center already in place and could use someone with Smart's toughness and career projection.

While most never saw Smart as a perennial All-Star, he's the type of player who will never get a general manager fired. He's ridiculously hardworking, a smart kid who can penetrate a defense and has the physicality and motor to compete at an elite level. There were almost no scouts who even considered the word "bust" with Smart—his low-level projection was a replacement-level starter. 

That projection won't change in 12 months. Barring injury, Marcus Smart will still be Marcus Smart, and he'll likely be a readier version for the NBA at that. 

The question, though, is whether general managers and owners will be as gung-ho about using a top-five pick on Smart 12 months from now. 

It's widely accepted that the 2013 draft is potentially the worst in recent memory. Comparisons have consistently been made to the 2000 class, which produced just three All-Stars (Kenyon Martin, Jamaal Magloire and Michael Redd) and only one All-NBA selection (Redd, who was a second-round pick). There were other players like Jamal Crawford who have had nice careers, but far more who busted on their first contract. 

Knowing the similar lack of guarantees in 2013, translatable skills will be at a premium this June. Smart was viewed as one of a select few locks to have a solid NBA career.

If all goes as expected, that won't be the case for Smart 12 months from now. The high school class of 2013 is one of the most loaded in recent history, adorned with two different players who have been called the best prospect since LeBron James. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are those two players, and Julius Randle and a bevy of other projected future NBA stars join them.

If the 2013 draft class is the worst since 2000, then the 2014 class may be the best since 2003. 

Givony isn't wrong when he says the bar will be higher—by sheer virtue of the talent pool alone. And recent history is littered with players who stayed too long, thinking an extra year would boost their draft stock. Jared Sullinger and Cody Zeller are recent examples of the "stayed too long" phenomenon. 

So what would it take for Smart to stick inside the top five? That's a difficult question. It's hard to expect Oklahoma State to defeat Kansas for a Big 12 title, even with Smart returning. Bill Self has built an institution of nonstop winning with the Jayhawks and boasts another strong recruiting class in 2013. 

But a repeat of 2012-13 certainly won't be good enough. Smart will at least be expected to show massive improvements offensively—specifically with his shot—and prove himself on the NCAA tournament stage. Getting upset by a No. 12 seed the way Oklahoma State did this March won't cut it, especially if freshman point guard Andrew Harrison helps lead a juggernaut Kentucky recruiting class deep in the dance.

There will be some who point to these factors as a reason Smart is making a mistake—that he's taking an unnecessary risk with millions of dollars flying out the window like littered soda cans. Others will praise Smart's decision, citing him as a bastion of what college athletics is supposed to be about—a banner example that the student-athlete does exist. 

It doesn't matter which side of the coin you or I fall on. Smart made his decision and deserves to be commended for being mature enough to stick to his convictions. 

He just needs to know this decision doesn't come without consequences. And for Marcus Smart, that consequence is having one of the biggest spotlights in the nation shined on his face next season.

 Follow @tylerconway22

Oklahoma State combo guard Marcus Smart has, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, elected to return to school for his sophomore season. In doing so, Smart is bypassing a likely top-five selection in the 2013 NBA Draft.

While this may come as a shock to many people involved with the draft process, the immediate reaction on Twitter has been positive. Many are commending Smart for making a wise move. While an injury would be regrettable for Smart, I agree with those who say this is the right move.

For starters, Smart would not be headed to a quality team. His likely destination would be the Phoenix Suns or Orlando Magic, and both teams currently have point guards entrenched in that position.

Secondly, perhaps Smart watched the rookie campaign of a player with a similar skill set: Austin Rivers. Rivers had a quality season at Duke along with a dominating high school career in Winter Park, Florida. But his early success did not exactly translate to the NBA this season. Rivers will probably be a fine NBA player, but my point is I don't think Smart loses anything by skipping this draft.

The other major argument sure to make the rounds will be the depth of the 2014 draft. This is where Smart did his homework. Taking a quick look at a few mock drafts for 2014, the first point guard on the list is Andrew Harrison, who is still in high school. Smart will still likely go in the lottery in 2014, and probably in the Top 5 depending on team needs. This decision could even work in his favor—if the 2014 draft class is that good, maybe Smart slips to the bottom of the lottery and winds up in a more favorable situation on a team with several good pieces already in place.

As for his college team, the Cowboys earned a No. 5 seed in this year's tournament and should be better next season with an older Smart. Travis Ford seems to finally be turning Oklahoma State into a consistent winner, so another year in Stillwater isn't the worst thing for Smart.

If money was the motive, then Smart would already have signed with an agent and be on his way to a great payday. As it stands, it will be very interesting to hear his perspective on why he is doing something so rare these days for players in his position, staying in school.

In a shocking development, Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart has decided to return to Stillwater for his sophomore season.

Smart announced his decision on Wednesday afternoon, telling fans in Stillwater that he knew exactly what he was doing by returning. 

Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news:

As ESPN's Chad Ford points out, Smart's unexpected decision mirrors that of a recent player also from the state of Oklahoma:

As arguably the best point guard prospect in America, Smart was a near-lock to be a top-three pick in what is classified as a weak draft. With next year's class supposed to be significantly more talented and deep, this recent development will undoubtedly have many scratching their heads.

But Smart is a player with strong character who values winning and the collegiate experience, and you can't blame the 19-year-old for wanting to stay a kid a little while longer.

Not only is another year of college education invaluable, but he will return to spend another year with lifelong best friend Phil Forte, who will also return to OK State as a sophomore.

Moreover, despite 2014's strong anticipated draft class, don't assume to see Smart's stock plummet, who tallied a staggering 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 steals per contest as a freshman this past season.

He isn't the most athletic prospect in the country, but he has ideal NBA size (6'4", 225 pounds), the intelligence and always shows his unbelievable maturity down the stretch of big games.

He's the exact type of hard-nosed player you want leading your team.

While Smart's shooting (29.0 percent from long range) and ability to take care of the ball (3.4 turnovers per game) left a little to be desired, those are two things that can be improved.

And considering he is rejoining the majority of a returning roster that earned the No. 5 seed this past NCAA tournament, a deep postseason run to further cement his top-prospect status is certainly a possibility for Marcus Smart and the Cowboys.

In fact, with this news, Bill Self and Kansas' streak as Big 12 regular-season champs is in major jeopardy.

It's a tight race in the Big 12, but Oklahoma State will make a statement tonight at Gallagher-Iba Arena. 

Both teams are 9-3 in the conference, and the winner of tonight's showdown will join Kansas State at the top of the standings. 

The Cowboys are on fire having won their last seven contests, including an 85-80 victory over the Jayhawks in their first meeting in Lawrence.

Kansas has won its last two games after a three-game skid, but conference road games haven't been kind to the Jayhawks recently. Their last road win came on January 28 at a struggling West Virginia by only five points. 

That doesn't help Kansas, considering that Oklahoma State is 13-1 at home this season. 

The scoring trend doesn't help Kansas either. Kansas hasn't scored more than 66 points on the road in Big 12 play. That's a significant difference from the 73.4 average they have on the season.

During Oklahoma State's seven-game winning streak, the Cowboys average just under 80 points a game.

If this game is fast-paced like the first one, Oklahoma State will run Kansas out of the gym.

Outstanding freshman Marcus Smart is the key for the Cowboys. He does a little bit of everything.

Smart is shooting 45.2 percent from the field in the Big 12 and has come close to a triple-double on multiple occasions.

Furthermore, Smart was the biggest difference-maker against Kansas in the first game. Not only did he score 25 points and pull down nine rebounds (eight of the nine boards were on the offensive end), he also forced five steals.

For the Jayahwks to have a chance tonight, they need Travis Releford to step up.

During Kansas' three-game losing streak, Releford only posted 17 points combined and played at least 35 minutes in each contest. He needs to help out Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey more consistently.

Either way, it won't be enough for Kansas to pull off a significant road win. The Cowboys are too hot and too good at home.

It was Oklahoma State that ruined Kansas' 33 home game winning streak on February 2. 

The loss Kansas suffered to the Cowboys that Saturday ended up being worse than they thought. The Jayhawks would go on to lose their next two games at TCU, which so far is the biggest upset this season, and at Oklahoma. 

Since then, though, the Jayhawks have bounced back by blowing out Kansas State, 83-62, and Texas, 73-47, at home. 

Now they must try to keep the streak alive as they travel to a hostile Gallagher-Iba Arena to get revenge and take control of the Big 12. 

The Cowboys may have other plans in store, though, as they try to extend their seven-game winning streak. 

Can Oklahoma State sweep Kansas this season and knock them out of the Big 12 regular-season title race? 

If there is a team in the Big 12 that is going to do it, it is going to be Oklahoma State.

They have become one of the hottest teams in the country and have found themselves in the hunt to win the Big 12 Conference. 

The strong guard play from freshman sensation Marcus Smart and junior Markel Brown has been the key component to the Cowboys' recent success. These two players along with sixth man freshman Phil Forte are going to need to be at their best Wednesday night if they expect to knock off Kansas for the second time this season.

Marcus Smart has to be in the top five when you think about who the best freshman is this year in college basketball. He can do it all. 

Smart is averaging 15.0 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game and 2.9 steals per game this season. 

He can take over a game and has the ability to be at his best when the game is on the line, as he did at Kansas in early February.

Markel Brown leads the Cowboys in points per game this season with 15.8 and can be counted on to make shots down the stretch of a game. 

Brown made a big impact at Kansas in early February by dropping an impressive 28 points on the Jayhawks.

Phil Forte is not as lethal as Smart or Brown, but he still manages to score at least 11.3 points per game off the bench. Forte is a smart player on the perimeter and has been the most consistent free-throw shooter on the team this season. 

He’s shooting 88.3 percent from the charity stripe, and he hit key free throws in the last minute at Kansas that helped them win the game.

It is going to be a battle until the very end in this game, but if Smart, Brown and Forte all make key plays late in the second half, they have a good shot at knocking off the Jayhawks again.