With the possibility to sidestep college and make millions of dollars a year ahead of him, freshman Marcus Smart decided to return to Oklahoma State University.

Personally, I am proud of the choice Smart made to pursue more education amid freshmen from around the country deciding to commit to the NBA Draft. Unfortunately, I can’t elaborate on whether Smart’s decision was motivated by more education or another year in basketball, because he did not explain his reasoning. Nonetheless, it’s a good decision, especially given the recent one-and-done popularity.

The University of Kentucky’s basketball program is most notorious for gathering high school seniors and sending them into the draft after one season. Following their national championship in 2012, the Kentucky roster was gutted as three freshmen, two sophomores and one senior transcended to the NBA. They were left with a team which lost in the first round in the National Invitation Tournament this past season, but is still sending two freshmen to the NBA Draft. Nowadays it seems college is merely an obstacle between high school and the NBA for some basketball players.

Back in the day of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, players remained with their college teams into their senior seasons. College rivalries were more intense, games were higher scoring and entering freshmen were intimidated by upperclassmen. The most consistent remark from the broadcasters and analysts during this year’s NCAA Men’s National Basketball Tournament was regarding the low scores in each game. The broadcasters and analysts from the tournament are used to highly competitive struggles between older teams, causing them to comment on the low scoring affairs in recent tournaments. The level of play in college has fallen from where it once was because players don’t seem interested in classes when millions are waiting for them.

I understand millions of dollars are appealing, and they are something I surely don’t have experience being tempted with, but players have to remember the NBA doesn’t last forever. If you’re lucky, you will play until you’re between 35 and 39 years old, while accumulating an average of $5.15 million a year (the average NBA salary according to Forbes). You’re right, $5.15 million over a possible 15 years is a lot of money, but according to a GQ piece about the modern professional athlete, 60 to 80 percent of NBA and NFL players go bankrupt within five years of retiring.

The numbers speak for themselves. Players can enjoy the high life for 15 fantastic years and escape bankruptcy, or simply put in two to three extra years in college to learn how to manage the money they will receive while playing professionally. $5.15 million a year for at least 10 years can be lived off of if utilized the right way, and college teaches those skills. In some instances, college athletes are being paid through education to play in college, so why not get your money’s worth and finish it up? An unfinished degree unfortunately doesn’t hold its ground in the real world. Yet after Smart’s decision to remain in college, during the past week analysts dissected his choice arguing over whether it was the best decision or not. Are you kidding? I can’t believe an anchor would honestly claim Smart made a bad decision, except for the sake of producing good entertainment.

I don’t know Smart’s reasoning for his decision. He could have an array of explanations, but I hope it’s that he enjoys his team, wants to compete next year and recognizes the significance of completing his education. Whether he returns the following year or not, I don’t think it’s a coincidence Smart made a smart decision.