College Basketball

King of New York: Markquis Nowell's epic show at MSG is one for the history books

Updated Mar. 24, 2023 4:08 a.m. ET

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

NEW YORK — The words on Ismael Massoud's phone screen were so far beyond comprehension that he had to check them twice, three times before thrusting the device in front of a player who not only etched his name into college basketball history on Thursday evening, but did so with the kind of spray-painted flair befitting a New York City legend entertaining his people in the Madison Square Garden cathedral.

Massoud positioned his phone low enough to catch the sight line of his 5-foot-7-inch point guard Markquis Nowell, the Harlem-born hero for Kansas State whose 20 points against seventh-seeded Michigan State were outdone by 19 eye-widening assists that set an NCAA Tournament single-game record. For two hours and 46 minutes, Nowell had dazzled an expectant crowd so much of which packed the mecca for a chance to cheer one of its own. Musical artists and their entourages rubbed elbows with retired NBA stars as nearly everyone in a packed house seemed smitten with the third-seeded Wildcats.  

Nowell's masterpiece against Michigan State was as good as Carmelo Anthony scoring 33 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Syracuse in the Final Four. It was in the same realm as Christian Laettner pouring in 31 points for Duke in the iconic win over Kentucky. It falls marginally short of Glen Rice netting 31 points and 11 rebounds as Michigan beat Seton Hall to win the national title. What Nowell did in the Sweet 16 on Thursday should be remembered as one of the all-time performances in NCAA Tournament history.

"You're No. 1 trending in the world right now, Quis!" Massoud shouted while showing Nowell a list of the most discussed topics on Twitter in that very moment. "You're No. 1 trending in the world!"

Together with forward Keyontae Johnson, who craned his neck to peek at Massoud's phone, the Kansas State trio was trapped in a dreamlike interlude between everything that happened and the impending news conference during which they'd be asked to explain it. Between the ankle injury that threatened Nowell's storybook ending and his coldhearted pilfer from fellow New York guard Tyson Walker with four seconds remaining to cinch a thrilling, pulsating, 98-93 win that needed five extra minutes to separate the city's native sons and, eventually, dispense a trip to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats, who were picked to finish last in the Big 12, will face ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.

From their huddle in the arena's underbelly, where they watched and re-watched Nowell's breathtakingly brash alley-oop to Johnson, who punctuated with an equally audacious reverse slam in overtime, the K-State trio embarked on a jaunt they'll never forget. They galloped through a hallway lined with framed photographs of the rock stars and pop icons who've previously electrified Madison Square Garden. They stopped for handshakes and hugs with the rapper Cam'ron, another Harlem native sporting pounds of jewelry that bounced atop a Kansas State jersey. He and former recording partner Ma$e had peeled themselves away from a photo opportunity with New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony to yell "Big Harlem in the house!" as Nowell approached. All of them had come to see the pint-sized phenom.

"This one was special," Nowell said. "In front of my hometown, in front of the city that loves me — I can't even put into words how blessed and grateful I am."

That the city always loved him even when college coaches didn't has become the backbone to Nowell's inspiring story, a tale that spanned three high schools in four years before veering south to Little Rock in lieu of more attractive scholarship offers. He awed packed gyms as the point guard for Bishop Loughlin in the city's famed Catholic High School Athletic Association and astonished crowds that stuffed the bleachers at Rucker Park. His high-profile rivalry with former St. Raymond's guard Isaiah Washington, who was part of the popular "Jelly Fam" crew, prompted Anthony to bring several of his Knicks teammates to a game in 2017. Nowell, who scored 33 points with 10 assists that night, now considers Anthony a friend and mentor.

The 12 tickets he distributed to friends and family on Thursday represented but a fraction of the nearly 200 people Nowell estimated he knew among the raucous crowd. They watched as his deadeye passing pitilessly bifurcated a Spartan defense that had ravaged USC's leading scorer Boogie Ellis in the opening round (six points on 3-for-12 shooting) and then erased Marquette's Tyler Kolek in the second (seven points and six turnovers). Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang and his staff recognized the way Michigan State's help defenders tended to lose concentration, and the Wildcats exposed that flaw through a revolving door of back cuts and 45-degree cuts players said they drilled in practice all week.

"They do a lot of ball watching," Johnson said. "Quis has always told us (that) when he drives, just keep cutting. He's going to look for me. And the IQ, the feel that we have for each other, it just showed today." 

Their opening basket on a back lob from Nowell to Johnson, who finished with a team-high 22 points, portended an array of highlight-reel assists from the puppeteering point guard in which every entry was more stunning than the last. He threaded a two-handed bounce pass to forward David N'Guessan that drew a foul in transition. He jump-stopped into a left-handed push pass that found Johnson in the corner for a wide-open triple. He sliced into the lane from the right side and whipped a no-look pass to a cutter for an easy layup. Nowell's eyes widened when he saw forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin in the ideal position for a baseline cut, and then he lasered a ball that flew past Walker's ear and split two more MSU defenders before settling into his teammate's grasp.

All of those dimes were dropped before halftime as Nowell racked up 10 assists by the break.  

"I think we were mesmerized on him," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. "We did not do a very good job of that. That was one of the disappointments. That's what makes him a great player. It's not only the plays he makes but the positions he puts people in that (get) you backpedaling. I really was disappointed in some of those back cuts because we had really talked about them."

Their only reprieve was a two-minute window in the second half after Nowell turned his right ankle and writhed on the ground in pain. He rolled from his back onto his knees as the medical staff hovered, and then Nowell reversed to his original position while most of the crowd fell silent. Eventually, two staffers helped Nowell hop toward the bench where they began to work on his foot.

Nowell peered anxiously over his left shoulder as the trainers ripped and wrapped, re-ripped and re-wrapped, with each new layer milking precious seconds off the clock. The Wildcats were clinging to a 50-46 lead when Nowell blew a tire, but an 8-2 run by the Spartans swung momentum in the opposite direction. He tested the ankle by jogging in place and bouncing on his toes along the baseline, and then Nowell told his coach he was ready to return to the game.  

"I just wanted to be tough as nails," Nowell said. "I mean, I'm from New York City. You play through injuries all the time, and I wasn't going to let a rolled ankle stop me from playing in this game and being with my teammates. I love these guys, and I'll put it all on the line like I did today to see us have success and for us to win." 

On this stage and in this moment, two days removed from the death of former Knicks star Willis Reed, who famously hobbled onto the floor with a torn thigh muscle to help his team win Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, there was a part of Nowell's return that felt poetic. Massoud, another Harlem native, said his mind flashed not to Reed but to former Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas scoring 25 points in a quarter after spraining his ankle in the 1986 NBA Finals. Thomas was sitting courtside for Thursday's game — reportedly as the guest of a famous Michigan State donor — and absorbed Nowell's river of trash talk throughout.

Upon returning, Nowell hobbled through a handful of possessions before scooping a loose ball and authoring this year's shot of the tournament — an off-balance, one-handed heave from beyond the 3-point line that caromed in off the glass as the shot clock expired to tie the game with 12:42 remaining. 

"I was like, ‘What the f---? Wow!'" guard Desi Sills told FOX Sports. "He wanted to put on for the city, and he's damn sure doing it. He's going to keep on doing it. We ain't done yet."

They aren't done because Nowell pivoted in a circle to set up a fadeaway jumper at the right elbow that gave K-State a 65-64 lead. They aren't done because his pick-and-pop pass to Massoud set up a 3-pointer from the midcourt logo that kept the Wildcats in front, 80-75. They aren't done because Nowell buried a step-back jumper over the 6-foot-8 Malik Hall with 1:04 remaining.  

By the time Nowell sprayed four more assists in overtime to nudge the Wildcats ahead, his limp had faded as the adrenaline coursed. And when he slapped the ball away from Walker in the final seconds, thwarting the other Catholic league guard he'd played against for so many years, the night belonged to Kansas State. The night belonged to Mr. New York City.

"Madison Square Garden has a tendency of having historic events," Nowell said. "And I'm glad to be a part of it." 

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

Read more:

• UConn's run to Elite Eight shows power of talent, toughness and identity
• Texas vs. Xavier: For Souley Boum, Sean Miller and Rodney Terry, happiness is all about fit
• Markquis Nowell has social media buzzing following historic Sweet 16 performance
• Madness at MSG: Ultimate playground for two vintage NYC point guards
• March Madness predictions: Picking winners, key players in each regional
• Exclusive: Ed Cooley on why he left Providence for Georgetown
• Big East makes waves during a week of seismic change
• Transfer portal plays huge role in March Madness success
• Re-ranking the Sweet 16 teams still standing in NCAA Tournament
• Behind the scenes: How Fairleigh Dickinson toppled Purdue
• NCAA Men's Tournament brackets
• 2023 March Madness: Best bets for the Sweet 16

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