Marcus Smart had a chance to be a top five pick -- potentially the No. 1 pick -- in the 2013 NBA Draft had he gone pro.
As you know by now, he didn’t, which is one of the major reasons that Kansas isn’t considered a shoe-in for their 10th straight Big 12 title.
At this point, there shouldn’t be a question about how good Smart is as a basketball player. He was an all-american as a freshman last season. He’s an Andrew Wiggins away from being the favorite to be the Preseason National Player of the Year heading into next season.
And now, according to Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News, he’s headed to the U.S. Men’s National Team minicamp on Monday in Las Vegas. He’s the only college player that was invited, and none of the players that were picked in the 2013 draft that Smart opted out of were invited, either.
That should give you an idea of just how highly regarded Smart is in basketball circles.
You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.