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Marcus Smart rebuffed being a sure fire high 2013 NBA lottery pick to return to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season. Despite the calculated risk, Smart becomes Oklahoma State's highest drafted ambassador to the NBA since Bryant Reeves (sixth overall in 1995 to Vancouver) after being selected early in the 2014 NBA Draft.
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Though in some ways he made more news for extracurricular behavior than his on the court excellence, he was steady as ever there, averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, to go along with a solid 4.2 assists. His second season under Travis Ford saw all important performance metrics improve from the first.
Despite an incident on the road in a game against Texas Tech in which an altercation culminated with Smart shoving a fan who'd mouthed off, Smart's draft stock wasn't impacted significantly, and he now begins his pro career with a chance to be an early impact player.
Projected as a combo guard type at the next level, Smart's bulk and athleticism should allow him to play NBA caliber defense from day one at either guard position. The offensive end of his game, however, needs some added consistency and polish in order for him to achieve his full potential.