Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell is out to prove his height isn’t a problem as NBA Draft approaches

As the 2023 NBA Draft is approaching this week, college basketball star Markquis Nowell can’t help but feel the need to prove himself as he’s been here before and was left unchosen in the past. The main reason? His height!

The 23-year-old is an elite basketball player, but all the uncertainty that surrounds him is mostly due to him standing at five-foot-seven. Back in the day, he wasn’t accepted at a major Division 1 college coming out of high school because of it, and it’s the same reason why some mock drafts projected he won’t be selected this Thursday.

However, this is nothing new for Nowell, who assures he find the way to use this at his advantage.

“I use it as fuel, motivation to prove people who don’t believe in me wrong,” he recently told the press. “It’s another chapter in the book, it’s another story I have to write to make it to the NBA. I’m just happy that I even get to showcase my talents in front of scouts.”

Ever since he was a high school basketball star at both Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn and New Jersey’s The Patrick School, he lived through the adversity of being smaller than his peers. Once he made it to college, he exceded at Arkansas-Little Rock, averaging 17.2 points in his second year.

He then made it to Kansas State, and guided the Wildcats to the NCAA’s Elite Eight. Last season, he was second in the United States with an 8.3 assist average, and set a competition record with his 19 assists in their overtime victory against Michigan State in March’s Sweet Sixteen.

“I just wanted to show [teams] that size doesn’t really matter when you play this game,” Nowell shared. “It’s about how hard you work and how smart you are.”

One of the most important figures he’s found in his recent preparation for the draft is Pelicans’ rising star Jose Alvarado, who even helped Markquis find his agent, Ron Shade of Octagon.

“It was kind of a reassurance thing,” the New York product said. “You want to build relationships with the people who did it before you. I wanted to see if they had any knowledge or wisdom I can learn from and use throughout my career.

“I’m trying to keep short guards relevant. There’s not many of us in the NBA that’s playing at a high level. I want to put on for them.”

His agent Ron Shade guarantees that there are many cases in the league of short guards exceeding expectations

Alvarado faced similar disadvantages than Nowell’s, as the six-foot athlete first signed a two-way contract in New Orleans, and recently furthered an agreement for a four-year, $6.8 million deal.

“Both are guards people felt were undersized. Both are guards who when going through the process, teams felt they were things they lacked, but as they went through the workouts, teams felt they offered more than expected,” agent Shade said.

Check out some of Markquis’ best highlights from his time wearing the Wildcats jersey:

At the end of the day, the most important thing is what the player thinks of himself.

“My belief is high, my belief is strong,” Nowell said. “The film sessions, the on-the-court work, the mental work. I just feel like there’s nobody out there that’s working harder than me. That’s where my confidence comes from.

“I’m going to enjoy the night, whether I’m picked or not. It’s a huge accomplishment for me and my family for pushing through this whole process and getting this far.”