Sun Belt transfer Markquis Nowell brings new mentality to K-State back court
Imagine a Kansas State point guard dribbling the ball across mid court. He quickly surveys the defense and realizes no one is defending him way out on the perimeter, so, rather than continuing to move closer to the rim or passing to a teammate, he decides to shoot a three-pointer right then and there from NBA range as if he’s Damian Lillard or Steph Curry.
How does K-State coach Bruce Weber react?
We will learn the answer early on next season when Markquis Nowell joins the Wildcats as a transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock. The junior point guard is unlike any player Weber has recruited during his nine years in Manhattan. Nowell plays fast and aggressively. At 5-foot-7, he also is usually the shortest guy on the floor.
That playing style leads to the occasional three-point shot from way outside, which will be a shock for K-State fans and Weber after the Wildcats made a Big 12 worst 30% of their three-pointers last season ... while toeing the college line.
“If they go in, which I think they will, I don’t think Coach Bruce or anyone else will really say too much,” Nowell said during a phone interview. “Outside shooting is something I’ve been working on my whole life. I put up 1,000 shots a day. So I’m very confident in my range and I’m pretty accurate.”
Comments like that are exactly why Weber pursued Nowell when he announced plans to finish his college basketball career elsewhere after averaging 14.3 points and 4.9 assists over 68 games at Little Rock, while shooting 36.6% from three-point range.
“When we lost Rudi (Williams) to the (transfer) portal, we knew we needed to add some depth and scoring at the point guard position,” Weber said. “Markquis is a great fit for that need. He’s a dynamic young man who can make plays and is a strong defender. He brings a whole different dynamic to our program.”
He is a bit of wild-card addition to the roster, given that he has never played at the power-conference level before and he “opted out” with eight games remaining on the schedule this season. But he was an All-Sun Belt player as a sophomore when he helped Little Rock win a conference championship.
And he brings a unique set of skills that K-State sorely lacked while winning only nine games this year. Chief among them: He can create plays for himself and score when a possession breaks down.
“I’m not afraid to do that,” Nowell said. “You have got to be tough as nails to play basketball at my size, and you have to out work everybody. That has been my key to success. I spend more time in the gym than anybody.”
Nowell began considering K-State mostly because of his relationship with assistant coach Shane Southwell. They are both originally from Harlem, New York, and they have known each other since Nowell was a sophomore in high school.
But that’s not why he signed with the Wildcats earlier this week. If he learns to make deep three-pointers within Weber’s system, Nowell could be a valuable member of K-State’s back court alongside Nijel Pack and Mike McGuirl next season. Realizing that convinced him to choose the Wildcats over interest from Oklahoma State, LSU, Tulsa and a few other programs.
“It was a no-brainer coming to Kansas State,” Nowell said. “I saw how they played last season, and it just really made me want to go play there and put on a show. They are gritty. They play with a free-flowing offense, for the most part. And they play like how I am used to playing in New York, with a defense-first mentality. They play hard, play smart, play tough and outwork their opponents the same way I always have. That is what I want to be a part of.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 3:18 PM.