Marcus Smart to Return to Stillwater

In a weak draft like the one expected this season, the decision to take the easy money has been, well, easy for some guys. Basically every fringe first rounder has put their name into the draft so far, including all of the lottery guys.

That is, except for Marcus Smart.

Earlier tonight, Chad Ford reported that Smart would be holding a press conference tomorrow during lunch time in the student union area. Lots of Oklahoma State students would be present, so there quickly became some hope for fans that maybe he would defy logic and come back next season. Certainly he wouldn't pull a LeBron James and hold a press conference in front of his fellow students, only to end it by ripping their hearts out...right?

It wasn't long after that thought that Adrian Wojnarowski, the king of sources, had the official scoop that Smart indeed was going to opt for a second year at Stillwater. And when Wojnarowski reports it, it might as well be fact.

Smart's decision has already been subjected to much criticism and he's likely to hear more throughout next season. The general thinking is - weak draft, guaranteed top 5 pick, potentially a historically strong draft next season - he would be stupid to risk it all for another year in college.

But ultimately it is Smart's decision to be made and as long as he made an informed decision, I have no problem with it. This decision is a little look into just how different Smart is. He's special. Smart isn't a guy who is going to worry about his draft stock. He's confident in his abilities. What he wants to do is win. And he's done that at every level up until college and I imagine after the loss against Oregon he felt he had some unfinished business to take care of.

Maybe it just wasn't natural for Smart to spend a season with a team and leave after not accomplishing anything. He has multiple HS championships, AAU banners, and even lead U18 USA Team to a victory in the FIBA Americas last summer. Returning to school, likely as the Big 12 favorites, Smart will have one thing in mind and it sure won't be how is draft stock is looking. He'll be looking to win a NCAA title.

This decision also put Smart in a position where he would leave his best friend, longtime teammate, and practically brother - Phil Forte behind. Smart grew up with his family and the thought of abandoning Forte after one year may have not sat well with him. Knowing the kind of player and point guard Smart is, he may not feel his job is done as a leader until he elevates both of them to professional prospects.

Smart also sat in on the USBWA awards dinner on Monday and listened to Tom Izzo talk about how much Trey Burke improved between his freshman and sophomore years. ESPN's Fran Fraschilla said he was "all ears".

Whether or not Smart's draft stock remains as a top 5 pick next year is certainly debatable. He has holes in his game that could be exposed farther the same way Sullinger, McAdoo, Willie Warren, Zeller, and others fell victim to in recent years. But there is more to a player's life than where he gets picked. All we know about player's are their basketball lives, but there are other factors. And as far as I'm concerned, experiences are greater than 3-5 pick difference in the NBA Draft. College life only comes around once.

And if Smart ends up a good NBA player - which as a player, there should be no other thought than that - then a couple years from now, nobody will even talk about this decision. And if he is terrible and flames out of the league in a few years, at least he will have some more memories in college to fall back on.

In the end, Smart is a competitor and its hard to ask him to be competitive, but at the same time consider the fact of failing by coming back a season. If Smart did that, Marcus Smart wouldn't be Marcus Smart. Part of what makes Smart great is his competitiveness, confidence, and intangibles. You can't just ask him to change his way of thinking. It why he is a great athlete and we all are just commenting on his decision - different mind sets.

First Impression of Marcus Smart

If immediate impressions are everlasting then I will forever remember Marcus Smart's backcourt violation to start the game. Smart received the tip and proceeded to cross the halfcourt line, only in the wrong direction. Luckily, that isn't the only thing I observed about Smart in my first look at him in college.

You could say he started off on the wrong foot, but ankle would be more appropriate as coach Travis Ford said he was only at 50% due to his ankle injury. This ankle has been bothering him and resulted in Smart adding some extra weight to his frame that he needs to lose. Nothing bad though, underneath the little fat he put on is a body of a man - 6'4'' and over 220 pounds of man to be exact.

Smart has a mature body and he also has a mature game. The coaches rave about him and so do the coaches from the U-18 National team (Billy Donavan) that he played for over the summer. He has taken over the leadership role already and took ownership of the point guard position even though he was recruited as a two guard.

Smart's leadership and under control patient style make his transition to the point guard position rather seamless. He set up his teammates with plenty of good passes, pushed the ball up court via the pass when applicable, and was always willing to give the ball up. He makes attacking the hoop look easy by staying under control and never really going full speed. He may have been extra methodical today though due to his ankle, but Smart's ability to be effective at slower speeds makes him wise beyond his years. He changed speeds with ease and showed of good footwork going to the rim and appears to have the Eurostep down pact. In the second half Smart got more comfortable at point guard and began to make more plays. By overtime, he had created three straight easy jumpers for his close friend Phil Forte.

I would guess that his ankle really was bothering him these past two games. He was unable to convert on multiple lay-ups, lost his footing multiple times, and was limited defensively in his ability to change direction. Besides things that appeared to be effected by his angle, I loved everything about his game.

Defensively, Smart gave great effort and was willing to get physical. His ankle came into play here as well, as he was able to be taken off the dribble multiple times. This isn't a big deal and I believe with his frame and effort that he can be a very good defender. He also has nice instincts and good hands, getting 4 steals in today's game. The one thing he needs to do a better job of is dealing with screens. Smart got tied up in many of them and although his willingness to run into screens at full speed is admirable, he could make the game easier for himself as he learns more about college level defense. Smart is also an excellent rebounding guard and very vocal.

Overall, Smart is definitely a first round prospect and has the ability to play both guard positions in the future. His game should really take off once his ankle heals and if it does, the lottery is not out of the question for him. He has some James Harden in his game.

* LeBryan Nash operated exclusively inside today and was a force doing so. Last year he strayed to the outside too often. He is finding out just how unstoppable he can be when he uses his strong frame and athleticism around the hoop. Nash was able to get good position inside all day and finish through contact. He has a solid first step, but more than anything he knows how to use angles and his body to get a defender on his size. Nash's game from 15 feet in is very complete, showing off a fadeaway jumper, a little pull-up, and the ability put it on the floor for two dribbles and finish. He looks much more pedestrian however from outside the arc, which is where he will probably be asked to play at the next level.

Akron's Zeke Marshall also played, although he quickly picked up two fouls in two minutes in the first half. He was unable to get any kind of good position against OSU's Phillip Jurick and didn't get his first field goal until overtime when Jurick was on the bench.