Kansas State's Markquis Nowell Declares for 2023 NBA Draft After March Madness Run

Following a stellar run in the NCAA tournament, Kansas State point guard Markquis Nowell is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft.

Nowell officially announced his decision with a statement on Twitter:

A two-year starter for the Wildcats, Nowell was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in back-to-back seasons. He was a third-team All-American selection by the Associated Press for the 2022-23 campaign.

Nowell led Kansas State to 26 wins this season, its most since 2012-13 (27). The team advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in five years, with Nowell having a historic performance in four tournament games.

His 19 assists in a Sweet 16 win over Michigan State broke the NCAA men's tournament record. The previous single-game record of 13 assists was done four times, most recently by Davidson's Jason Richards in 2008.

Overall, Nowell averaged 23.5 points on 41.9 percent three-point shooting and 13.5 assists in four NCAA tournament games. He set career-highs with 17.6 points, 8.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game in 36 starts during the 2022-23 season.

The two biggest concerns for Nowell as he prepares for the NBA draft are age and size. He's a fifth-year senior who played his first three college seasons at Little Rock before transferring to Kansas State.

Nowell will turn 24 on Christmas Day and is listed at 5'8", 160 pounds by Kansas State's athletic website.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman doesn't have Nowell ranked among the top 50 prospects in the 2023 draft class.

Nowell's impressive performance in the spotlight of the NCAA tournament will likely get him a roster spot for some team during Summer League, but it could be an uphill climb for him to play in the NBA next season.