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College Hoops Week in Review: Player of the Week: Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart, Jarnell Stokes

Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, left, and Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes battle for a rebound during a NCAA college basketball game in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Friday, Nov. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

AP

Player of the Week: Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

Marcus Smart entered the season with the reputation for being a winner and one of the best all-around players in the country, and nothing about his first four games at the collegiate level has proven different. Smart led Oklahoma State to a title in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off by averaging 17.7 points, 4.3 assists, 8.3 boards, 1.7 blocks and 3.3 blocks in three games. Most impressive? Smart had 20 points, seven assists, seven boards, four steals and four blocks -- that’s an unbelievable line -- in a 20 point win over No. 6 NC State in the title game.

The season didn’t start off all that well for the Pokes. They struggled to beat UC Davis in the opener and got taken to overtime by Akron in the opener of the tournament. But after rolling over a depleted Tennessee team, Travis Ford’s team made a statement against NC State, and Smart was the biggest reason why. That’s quite impressive for a team dealing with the loss of two key players to season-ending injuries.

The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team:


  • G: Keith Appling and Gary Harris, Michigan State: Appling was simply unbelievable down the stretch against Kansas, scoring 16 points in the second half and five points in the final minute to ensure that the Spartans would leave Atlanta with a win. Harris had 18 in that win -- included a pair of big buckets of his own down the stretch -- while chipping in with 19 points in a win over Texas Southern.

  • G: Trevor Releford, Alabama: Releford may come off the bench for the Crimson Tide, but he’s already their most important player. He’s their best creator off the dribble, and, quite frankly, he’s the only true point guard that sees minutes. In leading the Tide to the title in the 2K Sports Classic, Releford averaged 19.5 points and 3.0 assists, shot 70% from the floor and committed just a single turnover in wins over Villanova and Oregon State.

  • F: Tony Snell, New Mexico: For the Lobos to be contenders in the MWC this season, Tony Snell needs to be an aggressive scorer. He had 25 points against Davidson during Marathon Madness, helping spark a comeback from 14 points down, before dropping 27 points on George Mason, including the game-winning three at the buzzer. UNM hasn’t exactly been impressive through three games, but they are 3-0 in large part due to the play of Snell.

  • F: Deshuan Thomas, Ohio State: Thomas looked every bit a preseason all-american as the Buckeyes won the Hall of Fame Tip-Off this weekend. In wins over Rhode Island and Washington, Thomas averaged 28.0 points and 9.0 boards while shooting 55.3% from the field and 46.2% from three.

  • C: Mason Plumlee, Duke: Plumlee eventually fouled out against Kentucky, but he set the tone early against the Wildcats, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first half and outplaying UK’s twin towers. He followed that up with a 28-point, nine-rebound performance against Florida-Gulf Coast.

  • Bench: Askia Booker, Colorado; Devon Collier, Oregon State; Jud Dillard, Tennessee Tech; Mike Muscala, Bucknell; Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph’s; Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.