Sources: OSU's Marcus Smart staying

Oklahoma State fans might owe a huge thanks to Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. During Monday's Devon Energy College Basketball Awards banquet, Izzo told Freshman of the Year Marcus Smart that Michigan star Trey Burke, the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year, said on their flight to Oklahoma City that his return for a sophomore season was "the best decision he ever made." Less than 24 hours later, OSU called a basketball-related news conference, set for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the OSU Student Union Atrium and open to the public. The topic was not disclosed, but multiple sources indicated Smart will announce he is staying in Stillwater for his sophomore season. Smart, the Cowboys' dynamic point guard and the Big 12 Player of the Year, spent the past three weeks weighing his decision to stay in school or leave for the NBA. He is projected to be a top-five pick in this year's draft and could have gone as high as No. 1 overall. "He doesn't know," OSU coach Travis Ford said Monday. "One day it's one thing. The next day (he changes his mind). "He is torn, and I think that says a lot about him no matter what he does." Smart's return bolsters the Cowboys' chances of improving on a 24-9 season that ended with an opening-round NCAA Tournament loss to Oregon. The team will retain its top three scorers, with Markel Brown and Le'Bryan Nash also expected to take part in Wednesday's news conference to confirm speculation they too will be back next year. The players sought evaluations from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee last week. Smart told media before Monday's banquet he was getting closer to deciding but didn't expect to announce in the next couple of days. "A lot of people want me to stay; a lot of people want to see me go," Smart said. "But ultimately, it comes down to my decision and what I want to do."

News source:www.tulsaworld.com