Marcus Smart will return to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season, according to John Helsley of The Oklahoman.
Smart’s decision is rather curious. He nearly certainly would have been a top-10 pick and had No. 1 overall potential this year. The point guard needs work – especially his jump shot and his ability to take care of the ball, which are both a big deal at his position – but his athleticism is tantalizing. Especially considering next year’s draft is projected to be better than this year’s, it’s difficult to see how Smart will make himself into a higher pick.
Maybe he likes college, and if so, good for him. But NBA decision makers will have sky high expectations for Smart next season, and his stock has a lot more room to fall than rise.
James Michael McAdoo also announced he’ll return to North Carolina for his junior season. A year ago, many considered McAdoo a top 10 pick. But by returning to school and not progressing as much as scouts had hoped, McAdoo sunk to fringe-first-round levels. Now, he’s stuck (unless he too just really enjoys college) at North Carolina for yet another year.
It’s a lesson I hope Smart considered when making his decision.
