Kansas State men's basketball guard Markquis Nowell chasing NBA dream
Markquis Nowell isn't naïve when it comes to his NBA prospects.
Odds are when the league holds its annual draft on June 22 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, not far from where he grew up in Harlem, New York, his name won't be called.
Then again, he has been underestimated his entire basketball career. So, while making it to the NBA at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds might seem like a longshot, Nowell continues to bet on himself.
It is also why, as he spoke to reporters last Saturday following a workout for the Washington Wizards, Nowell remained upbeat and grateful for the opportunity to beat the odds once again.
"At my size, I'm unlikely to be here, so I'm just happy and blessed."
"I'm just happy to be here, man," said Nowell, who just a few months ago helped lead Kansas State on a magical NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight. "I'm blessed to put on my NBA gear.
Unlikely, perhaps, but Nowell also put himself in a position where he was invited to work out for multiple NBA teams ahead of the draft. As a fifth-year super-senior at K-State, he served as a catalyst for a Wildcat team that exceeded all expectations under new coach Jerome Tang.
K-State won 26 games and finished third in the Big 12 after being picked last in the preseason poll, then were the No. 3 seed in the NCAA East Regional. Nowell, meanwhile, led the Wildcats in scoring with 17.6 points per game along with a league-best 8.3 assists and 2.6 steals.
Nowell not only was a first-team all-conference selection, but also a third-team All-American. And to top it off, he won the Bob Cousy Award as college basketball's top point guard.
Following the Elite Eight run, Nowell was invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp and also had tryouts scheduled with the Wizards, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.
He hopes those workouts are enough for at least one team to give him a shot.
"I just want to show everything, that I'm able to play at the NBA level despite my size," Nowell said. "I have a lot of intangibles that I can bring to a team.
"I'm a good teammate (and) I'm a hard worker. I'm going to defend, whether you're 5-7 or 7-4. I'm going to go out there and compete, and I'm going to bring a winning attitude. That's what I can bring to every organization."
Nowell knows that his size might be a deterrent for some teams, but he also knows that the Wizards over the years employed at least three point guards under 6 feet tall in Earl Boykins (5-5), Muggsy Bogues (5-3) and Isaiah Thomas (5-9).
"It's definitely a legacy of undersized guards here," Nowell said of the Wizards. "I speak with Muggsy occasionally. He's given me some insight on what it is to be a smaller guard and how to get to that next level. I spoke to (Houston Rockets guard) D.J. Augustin.
"So a lot of guys have given me some wisdom on how to not just get here, but to excel at the next level."
The best known of the undersized guards no doubt is Bogues — the shortest player in NBA history at 5-3 — who spent 14 years in the league.
"He gave me a couple of things. The most important thing was just keep being a good person," Nowell said. "Being a good person is so underrated, and it can get you into a lot of doors.
"So you'd like to keep being a good person. Continue to keep doing what got you here. I made it this far, so don't try to be nothing I'm not and just continue to keep building."
Nowell offers similar advice to younger players who hope to follow in his footsteps.
"Continue to keep working, man. Don't let anybody tell you (that) you can't do anything," he said. "It's not what's on you, it's what's in you. What's in you they can't take away.
"The heart over height mentality is you how you approach every single day. The mentality that you want to get better. Get 1% better and you're going to achieve or overcome obstacles despite what people are telling you."
It hasn't been an easy road for Nowell, who hopes the workouts will at least get him a spot on an NBA summer league roster, a training camp invitation and perhaps a two-way contract with the G League.
He spent Friday working out for the Utah Jazz before hopping on a plane to Washington. Next up was a trip to the West Coast for a workout with the Los Angeles Clippers.
"It's a grind, but I wouldn't rather be anywhere else than traveling and playing basketball," Nowell said. "So it's a blessing."
