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Monday Mailbag Part II

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Photo Attribution: Emily Nielsen

Photo Attribution: Emily Nielsen

We got so many good questions I had to break it into two parts (even though it’s not Monday anymore), Part I here.

Tyler AmesAssuming Smart enters the draft, what will the PG situation look like next year? Could we see more of Markel there?

Kyle Porter: I guess we could — I would be all for that too. Markel handling the ball is one of my favorite things about this team and I nearly broke down the walls of the Internet last year trying to get Travis Ford to give him the reins instead of KP12.

My guess though is that we get some combo of Stevie Clark and Kirby Gardner. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t think Gardner has been terrible this year. He’s a serviceable breather for Smart when Ford needs him. I’m not saying he’s going to make any preseason All-Big 12 lists but could he put in 15-20 minutes next year on a Big 12 title contender? Sure.

Colin JohnstonWith the game on the line who would you rather have, Dez or Blackmon?

Kyle Porter: This is such a personal choice — because both are absolute monsters — but game on the line and my life on the line, I’m rolling with Dez.

Jake SchooleyI feel like Markel might leave after this year. No guarantee that is stock will rise any higher playing another year. Thoughts?

Kyle Porter: Not going to happen. True, the difference in money isn’t a huge thing with somebody like Markel because the difference between the 40th pick and the 15th pick is barely over $1M but by getting into the first round you’re lining yourself up to stay on an NBA roster for quite a while — not true with a second rounder.

I think Markel’s ceiling is the 15th pick in the draft but I don’t think he’s hit that ceiling yet. For reference, James Anderson got picked at No. 20, Desmond Mason got picked at No. 17. I think Markel is more athletic than Anderson and a better shooter than Mason.

NBAdraft.net has him as the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 draft right now but look at some of those names — does anyone stick out to you besides Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, and Andrew Harrison?

If Smart leaves, Markel could become the centerpiece of a Big 12 favorite (or at least one of the Big 12 favorites). His numbers have been improving steadily every year so it’s not absurd to think he could have a Adrian Peterson-esque senior year. Combine that with the crazy crap he’ll do at the draft camps and some GM might just put Jay Bilas saying “length, length, length” on a loop on his iPod and take him in the top 15.

Kurt Templeton: Chances that OSU gets an Austin-Dallas trip to Atlanta?

Kyle Porter: Same as the chances we see a clean game refereed at the Big 12 tournament.

Matt TrueloveWho is your offensive and defensive MVP for the basketball team this year?

Kyle Porter: Good question here. On offense I’ll go with Markel — he’s taken his scoring to another level and he’s the most underrated passer on the team. On defense I have to go with Smart — he changes everything, the entire complexion of the game with the way he plays. Plus he’s not afraid to lock down the other team’s best guy, like a homeless man’s LeBron in that way.

Brett PowellIf you could create the best OSU bball player of all time (Doug’s passing, Rutherford’s J, 34’s hops) what would he look like?

Kyle Porter: Another great question. Here we go…

Stroke – Adrian Peterson
Handles – Cheyne Gadsen
Passing – Douggy
Hops – Markel [ducks lightning bolt]
Motor – Smart
Body – Joey
Sense of the moment – Lucas (nobody better at managing it)
Defense – Melvin
Heart – Desmond

John GoolsbyWhat restaurant do you miss most from Stillwater?

Kyle Porter: Thai Cafe — this is like the Tami Taylor question from yesterday, not up for debate.

@blingedupI think Smart is staying next year. How delusional do you think I am in thinking that?

Kyle Porter: Honestly, not as much as I would have about three weeks ago. I think Smart understands and cares about his legacy and knows that if he returns not only is OSU the Big 12 favorite but it’s also easily a top 10 team heading into the season. A loaded rotation loses Phil Jurick and JPO and adds Stevie Clark, Detrick Mostella, and Gary Gaskins.

Phil Forte said the other day he wouldn’t be surprised if Smart came back: Yeah, 99 percent would definitely go to the NBA. But Marcus is a different kid. He doesn’t get caught up in all that hype. He’s just a winner. He wants to win.

[Bill Self gulps]

@titleisteightsWho the first former #okstate player to get a win on the @PGATOUR this year?

Kyle Porter: My wheelhouse! It’s going to be Hunter Mahan. He’s been playing out of his mind so far this year. His finishes include the following: T26, T15, T16, T16, T8, and 2. That’s what they call “trending in the right direction.”

David WeinsteinWhy is there not better internet access to live OSU games?

Kyle Porter: It really is kind of a bummer given the era of all-media-always-at-our-fingertips that we do. Okstate.com offers an $80/year package that includes the non-hoops and non-football live events (which I doubt is what you’re looking for). WatchESPN also offers pretty much every basketball game — but your cable network has to carry WatchESPN and not all cable networks do.

The new Fox move is going to mean good things in the future for online viewing I think. It’s what the people want and somebody, some company, will figure out how to deliver ubiquitously.

Dan Engel: How good is the baseball team? What’s the realistic potential for B12 play?

Kyle Porter: I think the real question is “how good is Josh Holliday” because I don’t think the team itself is really that great. The only big-time pro prospect is Jason Hursh, a pitcher who’s returning from Tommy John surgery so far this year. But I think Holliday has them believing they’re better than they actually are — what he was brought in for — as they took two of three from a ranked New Mexico team on the road and currently sit at 9-2 overall.

I think a fourth place finish in the Big 12 is a realistic ceiling for them this year.

Cole YearwoodWould you be OK with the football team wearing those camo uniforms in every game next year, if that guaranteed Marcus Smart staying for another year?

Kyle Porter: [clicks on the camo unis post, stares for 20 minutes, clicks on Marcus Smart’s ESPN profile, flips through his box scores, reads paragraph above about OSU coming into 2014 as a top 10 team, thinks some more…]

Yes.

Brenna HensleyI’m still going to say Wes Lunt is our guy. Herbie seems to like him. Speaking of people liking people, what’re the chances we have young man heading to NYC as a Heisman finalist?

Kyle Porter: Well, if Justin Blackmon taught us anything it’s that the Heisman is now “who’s the best quarterback in the country unless the best team in the country has an elite running back and said team is 13-0” award.

So given that bit of information and given that right now OSU doesn’t reven really have a quarterback, I’d say low. But somebody who blogs about Texas A&M football probably wrote that exact sentence at exactly this time last year…

Nolo: How will Mason Cox’s recent decision to forego the NBA draft and return for his senior year impact the Cowboys next year?

Kyle Porter: He’s coming back??

My reaction:

snoop-1

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