Smart Makes A “Not So Smart” Decision
Seconds before Oklahoma State was about to lose their fourth consecutive game to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, sophomore Marcus Smart completely lost his cool.
As Smart attempted to block a dunk by forward Jaye Crockett, he fell out of bounds into the crowd. He was helped up, and then immediately turned around in response to something said by a self-proclaimed Texas Tech ‘super fan.’ Words were exchanged and Smart shoved the man causing him to lose his balance but not fall.
The 6’6”, 220lb guard received a technical foul but was not ejected from the game. He was difficult to calm down and as he was approached by his teammates, he looked back and continued pointing at the fan and shouting.
Smart told coaches he reacted to the “super fan”, Jeff Orr, because he called him a racial slur. This is something college basketball has never seen, an athlete getting into a physical altercation with a fan.
The league reviewed the incident and Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced Sunday, “Mr. Smart’s actions were a clear violation of the Big 12 Conference’s Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Policy. He added, “Such behavior has no place in athletics, and will not be tolerated.”
Smart is suspended for the next three games. He will be eligible to return to the court on February 22nd, coincidently the next time they play will be against the Red Raiders.
The Texas native publically apologized to his teammates, fans, family, and friends during a recent press conference.
“I feel like I let my teammates down,” Smart said. “These guys mean a lot to me. Not to be able to be out there with them, it hits me in my heart. I have a lot of people that look up me, a lot of little kids. I truly apologize. This is not me.”
“I let my emotions get the best of me, just can’t let that happen again. It’s something I have to learn from. I’m taking full responsibility. No fingers are pointed. This is all upon me.”
Oklahoma State Head Coach, Travis Ford, told reporters he knows Smart and this was just a serious mistake.
However, this is not the first time Smart had to apologize for his actions. During a game versus West Virginia a couple weeks ago, Smart kicked a chair out of frustration. He later apologized via twitter for losing his composure.
With all the media coverage surrounding Smart and many crucifying his character, the next topic that comes to mind is how will this affect Smart in the draft?
Last spring, Smart made a shocking decision to return back to school to play another season instead of entering the NBA draft where he was a projected lottery pick. He stated a huge part of his decision was the loss against 12th seed Oregon in March. He felt he let his team down.
At the start of this season, Smart was the nation’s only unanimous AP first-team All-American. He’s a passionate player and the talent is definitely there. It seems as though the 19 year old just might not know how to deal with losing and the emotions that come with losing.
He’s a two-time high school champion, McDonald All-American, played on TEAM USA, winning the FIBA Americas 18U Championship in Brazil, played on the USA squad that won the gold medal at the 11th U19 World Championship in Prague, as well as received a number of individual awards including National Freshman of the Year.
OSU’s recent lack of success could be the reason for Smart’s poorly kept composure. General managers most likely will not hold this situation against him. He’s a young guy who let the heat of a moment get the best of him. He seems very sincere with his apology and if he does not let something like this happen again, I don’t foresee him dropping on anyone’s draft list solely because of his recent outbursts.
