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Marcus Smart has no regrets regarding decision to return for sophomore season

Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart

AP

Former Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart’s decision to return for his sophomore season was seen as a perplexing one by some people, as it’s rare to see a surefire lottery pick turn down the seven figures they’d make as a rookie in the NBA. And with the 2014 NBA Draft having the look of one being far superior to the 2013 edition, there were even some who opined that Smart was costing himself money by returning to Stillwater.

Unfortunately for Smart, while his numbers were solid the season did not go as smoothly as he and his fellow Cowboys had hoped. As a team Oklahoma State went from being ranked in the Top 10 in December to landing in the 8/9 game in the NCAA tournament, falling to Gonzaga in the Round of 64.

Add in the three-game suspension Smart received after he shoved a fan in the final seconds of a loss at Texas Tech, and the question of whether or not he regretted returning to school was sure to come up at the NBA Draft Scouting Combine in Chicago. Yet according to Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press, Smart has no regrets and instead looks at his experience as one that will help him moving forward.

“Everything that happened this season, I wouldn’t change it for a thing,” Smart said Friday at the NBA draft combine. “It helped me. It got me ready for the NBA and things that come in the NBA.”

In 2013-14 Smart averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 42.2% from the field and 29.9% from beyond the arc. While Smart’s percentages improved by a small amount from his freshman season, there are still questions regarding his ability to be a consistent perimeter shooter.

And given the issues that weren’t seen in the box score, it’s understandable if some of his time spent talking with NBA team executives includes questions regarding his handling of adversity. Smart stated in the story that it isn’t something he’s going to shy away from, choosing instead to answer those questions directly, and that’s the best approach.

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