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Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Reveals He Nearly Went to UNC

Smart could have turned UNC into one of the best teams in the nation from 2012-14

By Vinnie Portell

Mar 20, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (left) tries to take the ball away from guard Phil Forte, III (right) during practice before the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (left) tries to take the ball away from guard Phil Forte, III (right) during practice before the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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The UNC Men’s Basketball team is famous for attracting some of the most talented recruits in the nation, but it still hurts when you hear that a great player nearly committed, but didn’t.

Marcus Smart revealed Wednesday on the Tidal League podcast that he was on the verge of committing to UNC before the 2012-13 season, but didn’t because his longtime friend and high school teammate, Phil Forte III, convinced him to commit to switch to Oklahoma State.

It’s easy to dream of what could have been.

UNC Would Have Been a Title Contender with Smart

It didn’t take long for Tidal League podcast host Theo Pinson to remind Smart what he missed out on by not going to UNC.

“Marcus, you could have had a ‘chip, kid,” Pinson said. “You could have had a ‘chip. 2012, we was nice. We was nice. ‘Phil, ya f–d up.”

Smart, a McDonald’s All-American, lived up to his 5-star pedigree with the Cowboys. 

He won the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award, an award presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the nation’s top freshman player, and was the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2012-13.

In his two-year career, he averaged: 16.6 points, 4.48 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.94 steals per game.

He missed out on playing with a UNC team that featured future NBA players Marcus Paige, P.J. Hairston, Reggie Bullock, James Michael McAdoo, Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks.

Those North Carolina teams went 25-11 in 2012-13 and 24-10 in 2013-14, losing in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons. It’s impossible to know how far the Tar Heels would have gone if they also had Smart, but it’s still painful to hear just how close he was to joining that squad. 

“I was never supposed to go there,” Smart said of Oklahoma State. “I was going to North Carolina. Roy Williams was on his way to a meeting, to a house call. I’ll never forget this sh–. 

“Sunday he was coming for a house visit. On Friday, Phil is like, ‘Hey, come with me to Oklahoma State for my official visit. I don’t wanna come by myself.”

Smart went on to explain that the Cowboys coaching staff didn’t even push to recruit him because they knew Williams was on the verge of landing him. 

And then Forte III beat him to the punch. 

“After that meeting, me and Phil talked and he was like, ‘Man, we’ve been doing this since 3rd grade. We might as well finish this sh– off the right way.’ And I’m like sh–, you right,” Smart said.

Smart said the Oklahoma State staff was so surprised at his commitment that they broke down and cried. 

Oh, what could have been.

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