Kentucky's John Calipari Apologized to Markquis Nowell for Calling Him 'Little Kid'

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari has apologized to Kansas State senior guard Markquis Nowell for calling him "little kid" after they faced off in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, per Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

Nowell confirmed Tuesday that he spoke with Calipari:

Nowell finished the game with 27 points and nine assists to lead Kansas State to a 75-69 victory and a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.

"We did a pretty good job on [Keyontae] Johnson, and he makes that three. The little kid makes a three. He made a deep three," Calipari told reporters after the game. "We miss a couple and all of a sudden it gets out of hand."

College basketball fans weren't happy that Calipari didn't refer to Nowell, who is listed at 5'8", by name during his postgame press conference. Even Kansas State assistant coach Jareem Dowling called out Calipari for the remark after the game:

Dowling thanked Calipari Tuesday for speaking with Nowell following his comments:

Nowell is in his second season with Kansas State after three seasons at Little Rock. He's having the best season of his career, averaging 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 34 games while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from deep.

The New York native figures to make a significant impact against No. 7 Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in the Sweet Sixteen. If the Wildcats advance, they'll meet either No. 4 Tennessee or No. 9 FAU in the Elite Eight.

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