Marcus Smart Suspended for Three Games

Marcus Smart, the primetime point guard out of Oklahoma State, has been suspended for three games due to pushing a fan after their loss against Texas Tech. According to ESPN, Smart was trying to block a layup by Texas Tech with 6.2 seconds to go, but he happened to fall into the front row of the stands, and as he was helped up, he exchanged words with a fan wearing a black Texas Tech shirt. He didn’t respond well, pushing him with two arms, and almost sending him to the ground. "Mr. Smart's actions were a clear violation of the Big 12 Conference's Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Policy," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said on the subject of the Smart incident. Marcus Smart apologized with sadness and regret, "I want to apologize to the fan, whose name is Jeff Orr. I want to apologize to him. I want to apologize to my teammates, to my coaching staff, Coach Ford, my family, Oklahoma State University. This is not how I [conduct] myself; this is not how this program is ran. This is not how I was raised. I let my emotions get the best of me.” Smart, who is a top five point guard in the nation going into his sophomore year, needs to learn to control his emotions. There will be people like that everywhere in the NBA, so this isn’t a brand new thing. The Cowboys have #15 Texas, #21 Oklahoma, and Baylor in Smart’s suspension. This is the worst time of the year for him to do this. These teams will play Oklahoma State rough, and without Smart, will they be up to the challenge?

-Blake Holmes