Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell again shows how smallest player can have biggest game
There are oustanding-player awards and all-tourney teams for the Final Four and each of the regionals, but not for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Pity, because Kansas State point guard Markquis Nowell could have added to his hardware.
Nowell’s 27 points and nine assists Sunday in K-State’s 75-69 victory over Kentucky followed his 17-point, 14-assist total in the Wildcats’ first-round win against Montana State.
K-State heads to the East Region Sweet 16 on Thursday in Nowell’s New York City hometown and faces Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.
The smallest player on the floor — Nowell stands about 5-foot-7 and joked over the weekend that the best thing about his size is getting to the floor faster when he falls — has been dominant in the tourney’s early stages.
And delightful to watch. Consider a stretch over the final 3 1/2 minutes of Sunday’s first half.
K-State was hanging with Kentucky when Nowell went behind the back for an assist pass to Keyontae Johnson for a slam. After a steal, Nowell bounced a pass through his legs for a trailing Johnson, who was fouled on the shot and made both free throws.
“They’ve trusted me all season to make plays for them,” Nowell said. “We grew that chemistry during the offseason, so I kind of know were my guys are supposed to be.”
The final play of the first half provided the perfect example. Nowell drove around two defenders and lofted a no-look pass to Nae’Quan Nowell, who was dashing along the baseline. The lob and slam beat the buzzer to give Kansas State a three-point halftime lead.
And at least twice during Sunday’s game, Nowell delivered no-look assists.
Kentucky ripped off 11 straight points early in the second half and looked to take control, but Nowell brought his Cats back and knocked down K-State’s first three-pointer in 14 attempts to tie the game at 39.
From there, neither team could gain an edge — and Nowell was largely the reason why, from a K-State perspective. His scoring increased with another pair of three-pointers and drives to the bucket. Nowell finished with 23 points in the second half.
“He is one helluva player,” Tomlin said. “He puts in the time, works on his game every day and it shows.”
Tomlin, who like Nowell is from New York, said he didn’t personally know his future teammate when the two were growing up. But “I knew of him,” Tomlin added. “They called him Mr. New York City for a reason.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari called Nowell the “little kid” during the postgame news conference.
Nowell was interested in another Kentucky coach, assistant Tyler Ulis, who was an undersized All-America and Bob Cousy Award winner for the Wildcats from 2014-16. Ulis, who went on to play for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, was listed at 5-8 and drew the admiration of a young Nowell.
“I watch a ton of film, watch the greats, and I studied Tyler Ulis when I was in high school,” Nowell said. “I take parts of people’s games, implement them into my game, shake it all up in a box and see what I come up with.”
On Sunday, Nowell came up with a second remarkable NCAA Tournament performance, and now there’s at least one more chance to show how a small player can come up big.
