Marcus Smart, College Basketball, and One-And-Done Athletes

Right now I am sitting in my girlfriend's parents' den, watching Oklahoma State play Butler in the Old Spice Classic. My first reaction is that I wish I could be talented enough to play on scholarship at a school that sends me to Disney World to play basketball. My second reaction is that while I don't love college basketball, I do love watching Marcus Smart play basketball.

College sports were never all that interesting for me. I just couldn't pay attention to a system with so many teams and conferences that has as much yearly turnover as it does. I also happen to have attended a university that doesn't feature a team worth caring about. Rutgers men's basketball is objectively not good, with the RAC drawing more for the opposing teams than for the home squad. The quality of play in the NCAA is also not as complex as in the professional ranks, and the talent level just isn't the same.¹ I just never felt the draw.

That said, I still get the appeal. Marcus Smart just split an off-ball double team from the right wing and nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key with both trailing defenders getting hands in his face. Suffice to say, I am impressed. Smart, a sophomore, just wasn't this good last year. Now, he's leading the fifth ranked team in the nation in scoring. In a landscape filled with one-and-done phenoms, Smart stayed in school another season to work on improving his game.

Every player is going to be different. I don't claim to be in the heads of freshmen who would benefit from another year. There are many financial and social considerations that go into such a monumental decision. Still, Smart did what few college players seem willing to risk. By staying at Oklahoma State, he honed his talents to the point where he is one of the most feared guards in the country.²

I don't believe that Smart will start a lasting trend of college athletes staying in school. Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and all of the other great young players are still expected to make the jump, and that's their prerogative. Still, American basketball will benefit from more players like Smart working on their games. Rookies in the NBA will be better prepared for stiffer competition, will be smarter on the defensive end, and will be more able to adapt to the more complex systems. In the process, the college ranks will be more entertaining due to the increased talent level. 

The one-and-done rule is not going to change any time soon. College kids want to make money instead of being consistently deprived on their own identity by a convoluted and messed up organization. I just hope that more students are willing to hone their talents so that we can see more players like Marcus Smart who can read a passing lane, steal a ball, corral his dribble around a defender, then whip a pass over his shoulder with his back to his teammate for a fast-break layup.³

 

^{1. This is perfectly understandable. Players improve with age and experience. some of the players have some more heart than in the pros, there the schemes are more intricate and you can't match the displays of sheer athleticism in the NBA.↩}

^{2. He, by the way, just caught an entry on the right block, made a quick move to the baseline and hit a wide-open layup after leaving his defender in the dust.↩}

^{3. Which Smart just did to the amazement of everyone watching.↩}