STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Big 12 player of the year Marcus Smart says he will return for his sophomore season at Oklahoma State, bucking a trend of one-and-done prospects across college basketball.
Saying he’s a “Cowboy at heart,” Smart said Wednesday that some believe he’s making a mistake by passing up the chance to leave early for the NBA and the money that comes with it. The team’s second- and third-leading scorers, Markel Brown and Le’Bryan Nash, joined Smart at a news conference at OSU’s student union to announce they’d all be back.
Smart is the top prospect of them all, considered a likely top-five NBA draft pick. He averaged a team-best 15.4 points and 4.2 assists while leading the Cowboys to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Oregon in their tourney opener.
