"Skills Over Politics" Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell breaks silence after going unpicked in 2023 NBA draft

Fifty-eight different players heard their names called in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday night, but Kansas State Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell was not one of them.

Nowell, who had an excellent season for the Wildcats and holds the NCAA Tournament record for 19 assists in a game during their Elite 8 run, took to Twitter after the draft concluded and recited Jadakiss' "Never Surrender" to showcase his emotions.

Nowell has found a home as he has reportedely signed as an undrafted free agent to a two-way contract by the Toronto Raptors.

What did Markquis Nowell do for the Kansas State Wildcats?

Markquis Nowell played five collegiate seasons before entering the 2023 NBA draft. He began his career at Arkansas-Little Rock for three seasons before transferring to the Kansas State Wildcats before the 2021-22 season.

Last season was the first season Nowell was solely a starter, and he performed well. He started 36 games and averaged 36.9 minutes per game. The winner of the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, he averaged 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

His shooting needs to improve from what it was last year as he went 38.6% from the floor, 35.5% from beyond the arc and 88.9% from the free-throw line.

Why wasn't Markquis Nowell selected in the 2023 NBA draft?

The biggest red flag is that he is extremely undersized at 5-foot-8, 160 pounds. Although he shown the ability to play at an elite level, there are not many NBA general managers who will feel comfortable using a pick on a player three inches taller than Spud Webb.

The shooting numbers also have been an issue as a sub-40% shooter from the floor is not going to be able to light it up. This is not a one-year issue either as he shot 39.0% over the course of 131 career college games.

With the lack of height, Nowell is going to be viewed as a player to attack on the offensive side for the opposition. He could be a solid rotational player, but due to things he cannot control, he does not have a high ceiling as a player.