Connect with us

Hoops

Marcus Smart is coming back to OSU

Published

10 years ago

on

Photo Attribution: USATSI

Photo Attribution: USATSI

Updated: 9:10 CST to confirm

So either Marcus Smart is coming back to OSU or tomorrow is going to be the worst press conference in the history of press conferences[1. Unless he turns pro then immediately has his agent pay for Chick-Fil-A for every single person in the Student Union, then it would be an amazing press conference.].

Here’s what Twitter told me on Tuesday night:

So…gone, right?

Not so fast (my friends):

I mean, I’m not in Mensa International but let’s read between the lines here.

And we don’t need to anymore (updated at 9:10 CST).

A dude who by all accounts loves Stillwater and has completely immersed himself into the students’ affection and GIA’s spell is having a press conference at the Student Union during lunch while all the students are in there?

Come on, if he leaves that’s going to make the Sonics jump to OKC look like the most benevolent event in sports history.

No, he’s staying. And I have to say, I’m shocked. I was wrong too, way, way, way, not-even-close-to-being-right wrong. I’m not the only one who was shocked either.

https://twitter.com/wojyahoonba/status/324355093619159040

From a purely economic standpoint this is an atrocious decision. He’s going to be, at worst, the third pick in the draft with a decent chance at being No. 1 overall.

There’s no short-term value in coming back. I mean none, zero, he can’t improve his draft stock unless he becomes the consensus No. 1 pick which leads us to my other point.

This year’s draft is horrible. One of the worst in the last decade. Again, from an economic standpoint, Smart should take advantage of that because next year’s is going to be loaded.

Chad Ford and Bill Simmons talked about it on their podcast a few days ago. Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, the Harrison twins, etc. That’s not to say Smart won’t still be a top five pick (I think he will be) but again, sure-fire top three this year vs. a dicey situation next year.

And a lot can happen in a year. Lord help us if I invoke the names of Kevin Ware or Shaun Livingston more than this one time on PFB. There’s a lot more time for your game to get picked apart as well. He can’t shoot could become a real thing between now and next year. Of course so could gosh, he and Markel have been shooting together, haven’t they?! 

Plus the NCAA is a clown show. I might do the math later on but do you know how much money OSU made this year specifically because Marcus Smart is good at basketball? A lot more than his $20,000 tuition. That’s not an OSU issue, that’s an “it’s 2013 not 1913 and ‘amateur athletics’ is a billion dollar industry now” issue, but that’s for another time.

Thankfully there’s no economic value one can put on a college experience. I heard Gottlieb talk about this on Jason McIntyre’s podcast a few weeks ago.

He talked about how he’s still boys with his college teammates and doesn’t even talk to his pro ones. That means something in the bigger scheme of things.

And tomorrow, when Smart announces along with Markel and Nash, that he’s coming back, OSU will get a one-year gift[2. We might actually have to rename Boone’s donations because THIS will be “the gift of a lifetime.”].

Franny brought up a good Trey Burke-related point too (thought I’m not sure it really helped his draft stock):

OSU will be a top 10 team, the (heavy) Big 12 favorite, and a likely Sweet 16 squad[3. Not to be the wet blanket here, but these are all bad things if you’re not a Travis Ford guy.].

So here you are, Stillwater, Marcus Smart is coming back. Awaken the echoes in GIA and enjoy the spoils of this lunacy.

Next year is going to be a blast.

Related Topics:

Most Read