Oklahoma State basketball: Marcus Smart is Cowboys' glue guy

Turnovers.

After totaling 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocked shots in a 61-49 win over South Florida, Smart said, “Wish I could have those four turnovers back.”

Smart's shooting hasn't been consistent, yet, either: 35.6 percent (31 of 87). Still, he's doing so many other things, as well as playing hard every minute he's on the floor, that it figures that something has to suffer.

Overall, Smart's game is drawing raves on a national scale.

The nation's best freshman? He's on the watch list for the Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award, presented locally.

The nation's best player? Remains to be seen, although he's on DeCourcy's watch list.

“We knew he was going to be great,” DeCourcy wrote. “We did not expect that. Smart ranks only third on the OK State team in scoring (13.4), but leads in rebounding (7.4) and assists (5.0). He's had a completely transformative effect on a team that last season finished 15-18.

“It's far too early to say who'll be your Sporting News player of the year — UNLV's Anthony Bennett is pushing for that, as well as freshman of the year — but Smart is in the conversation.”