Fan Voting for Markquis Nowell (Starts Friday)
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Markquis Nowell was announced as a finalist for the 2023 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday (March 6).
The award, which annually honors the top point guard in Division I men’s basketball, is named after former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.
Nowell was named a finalist for the award, along with Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Northwestern’s Boo Buie, Penn State’s Jalen Pickett and Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies starting on Friday on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process. The winner being announced in April.
The honor is yet another for the 5-foot-7, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as well as the All-Defensive Team by the league coaches on March 5. He was also selected to the Midseason National Player of the Year Watch Lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Award presented by Jersey Mike’s. He has 3 times been named the Big 12 Player of the Week as well as the consensus National Player of the Week on Jan. 9.
Nowell is averaging 17 points on 37.6 percent (146-of-388) from the field, including 35.6 percent (74-of-208) from 3-point range, and 88.5 percent (162-of-183) from the free throw line to go along with a Big 12-best 7.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 36.4 minutes per game. He ranks in the Big 12’s top-3 in 13 categories, including tops in assists (238), assists/game, free throws made (162) and attempted (183), free throw percentage, steals (76), steals/game and minutes.
Nowell finished Big 12 play, ranking first in 6 categories, including scoring (19.5 ppg.), 3-point field goals/game (2.8), assists (7.2 apg.), steals (2.8 spg.), free throw percentage (91.1) and minutes (38.8 mpg.).
Nowell ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.7 apg.) and total assists (238), while he is among the top-20 in 5 other categories, including fifth in steals (76), eighth in steals/game (2.5 spg.), 13th in free throws made (162), 19th in minutes/game (36.3) and 20th in free throw percentage. He has 8 games of 10 or more assists this season, while he has 7 double-doubles (points/assists), including the school’s first 30-10 double-double with 32 points and 14 assists in the win at No. 19/16 Baylor on Jan. 7.
K-State has clinched a bye to the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as the No. 3 seed and will play No. 6 seed and No. 22/22 TCU (20-11, 9-9 Big 12) at 8:30 p.m., CT on Thursday.
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on K-State men’s basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
