Oklahoma State basketball: Weighing the pros and cons for Marcus Smart

Staying In School

Pro: Winning. The Cowboys are enjoying — so far — their best season in a decade. And with Smart and almost everyone else back, joined by four-star recruits Stevie Clark and Detrick Mostella, OSU would be a force in 2013-14; a Final Four contender.

Con: Winning isn't guaranteed. Injuries — yes, there's that concern — or chemistry issues can derail a season in a hurry.

Pro: Fun. Smart enjoys a special relationship with his Cowboys teammates, especially best friend and roommate Phil Forte, whom he's played with since third grade on the AAU circuit. For all the bright lights and big pay, the NBA is all business.

Con: A new year brings a new mix, which doesn't always stir the same chemistry.

Pro: BMOC. Already, Smart is loved and adored at Oklahoma State. He's a throwback player that Eddie Sutton said could play for him. He's already played a big role in restoring the rowdy to Gallagher-Iba Arena. And he'd challenge any football player as the face of the university, if not all of college basketball, with national Player of the Year awards very much in play.

Con: All that love and attention can get a little bothersome?

By John Helsley