Marcus Smart took on critics who have questioned why he didn’t declare for the NBA draft.

Smart was projected as a top-five pick.

“First thing this morning I hear Skip Bayless say I had to go,” Smart said during a news conference announcing his draft intentions. “In my mind I'm like, ‘No disrespect, but why?' He says it's because the draft class is weaker this year than next year. Well, that's telling me, from a competitor standpoint, you have no respect for my game and my ability to compete with those guys.

“You tell a competitor that, it just fuels his energy to go out there and prove him wrong. It got me fired up. I wanted to go out there and start working out right then. And it definitely fueled my energy to come back here and start preparing for next year and getting better.”

The 2014 draft class is expected to be rich with talent, led by Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.

Myck Kabongo will bypass his final two years of eligibility at Texas and enter the NBA draft.

Kabongo was suspended 23 games at the start of the season for accepting improper benefits and providing false information to NCAA investigators.

During the 11 games he played, Kabongo averaged 14.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 37.3 minutes per contest.

Kabongo is projected as a fringe first-round pick.

On condition of anonymity, an NBA scout assessed how Ben McLemore’s skill set will translate to the NBA.

“McLemore is a better version of Ray Allen. He will play shooting guard the way it is supposed to be played,” the talent evaluator said. “The only negative to his game is sometimes he defers. He could definitely use another year in college to learn to take over games.

“Obviously, he had to go (pro),” the scout quickly added. “The draft is only about potential now.”

McLemore’s shooting stroke has drawn raves from NBA observers.

McLemore shot 49.5 percent from the floor, including 42 percent from the three-point line, during his redshirt season at Kansas.

Marcus Smart is still pondering whether to enter the NBA draft or return for his sophomore season at Oklahoma State.

Smart took to Twitter to refute rumors that a decision has been reached.

Smart and his family were scheduled to meet with Cowboys coach Travis Ford at some time on Friday, likely discussing the pros and cons of both sides.