Dismissal of freshman guard Stevie Clark adds to Oklahoma State’s woes

Thanks to three losses in its last four games including a listless performance against Baylor in Stillwater on Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma State has already slid out of contention for the Big 12 title.

Now the Cowboys are dealing with another setback that could make emerging from their mini-slump a bit more difficult.

Troubled freshman guard Stevie Clark has been dismissed from the team in the wake of his weekend arrest in Stillwater, the school announced Monday afternoon. Details released Monday revealed that an officer saw Clark urinating out the window of a moving vehicle driven by someone else.

"We care about Stevie and wish nothing but the best for him," Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said in a statement. "We want him to find success in his future, where ever that may be."

Clark's dismissal is proof that "three strikes, you're out" doesn't apply only to baseball or convicted criminals. The freshman had two other disciplinary issues since joining the program, first getting suspended and sent home before the Old Spice Classic in late November for a violation of team rules and later getting arrested for possession of marijuana during a January traffic stop. Clark sat for Oklahoma State's Big 12 opener against Kansas State for that incident.

The loss of Clark further depletes an Oklahoma State rotation already thinned by the season-ending Achilles injury starting center Michael Cobbins suffered before the start of Big 12 play. Only Clark and fellow guard Phil Forte have received consistent playing time off the bench for the Cowboys in Big 12 play, and Clark had been the primary backup for Marcus Smart at point guard.

Clark averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 assists off the bench for Oklahoma State and shot 40.9 percent from behind the arc. The former top 100 recruit chose the Cowboys over Baylor, Missouri, UCLA and Florida State, among others.