Cowboys' Smart points to NBA after next season

Marcus Smart decided to stay in school after his stellar freshman campaign at Oklahoma State and forgo the NBA Draft, but he expects next season to be his last at the college level.

Smart, a 6-foot-4 guard, made his plans known on Tuesday while attending the USA Basketball minicamp conducted by coach Mike krzyzewski this week in Las Vegas. He is the only college player there.

"It's safe to say that if, by the grace of God I'm healthy and everything, this will be my last year at Oklahoma State," Yahoo! Sports reported Smart as saying after practice. "Nothing will change my mind on that."

Smart was projected as a top-five pick if he had opted for the draft after last season. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a freshman for the Cowboys, who finished 24-9 overall and 13-5 in the Big 12.

He said Oklahoma State "understands' that he will not be returning after next season.

"They didn't figure I was coming back this year," Smart said. "They were just as surprised as everyone else."

Smart was on the United States' FIBA Under-19 team that recently won a gold medal in Prague, Czech Republic.