Nowell Sweeps National Player of the Week Honors
Jan 10, 2023 | Men's Basketball
The senior is the third Wildcat to earn the honor and the first since 2011
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Markquis Nowell was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon (January 10) after his impressive performances last week in helping Kansas State knock off No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor on the road.
On Monday, Nowell was named the National Player of the Week by NCAA March Madness, ESPN and the Naismith Award presented by Jersey Mike's. In addition, he was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season, joining teammate Keyontae Johnson who was the Newcomer of the Week. It marked the first time in school history that K-State has swept both Big 12 honors in the same week.
Nowell is the third Wildcat to win the USBWA national award and the first since 2011.
Nowell, who became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley with consecutive 30-point performances, averaged an astounding 34.0 points on 54.8 percent (17-of-31) shooting, including 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from 3-point range, in the 2 wins while dishing out an average of 11.5 assists per game. He also connected on 24-of-25 attempts from the free throw line, seeing his streak of 29 consecutive makes end with his miss in his last attempt in overtime.
Nowell opened the week by scoring a career-best 36 points in the school-record 116-103 win over the Longhorns, going 9-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. His point total was the seventh-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State in 2018. The 116 points tied for the most scored in a Big 12 Conference game and was the most by an unranked team in a win a Top 10 opponent since 1988.
Nowell followed with the school's first 30-point/10-assist game in the 97-95 overtime win over the Bears, scoring a game-high 32 points to go with a career-best 14 assists in 43 minutes of play. He became the first Wildcat with consecutive 30-point games since Beasley accomplished it in four straight games from Feb. 23-March 4, 2008. The senior guard's 14 dimes tied the school record for assists in a conference game as well as tied for the second-most in any game in school history. It was also the most assists by a Wildcat in the last 40 years.
It was the first national Player of the Week honor for Nowell, while he was named been named Player of the Week a combined 6 times in two different conferences (3 times in the Sun Belt and twice in the Big 12).
A 5-foot-8, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., Nowell is currently averaging 17 points on 41 percent (71-of-173) from the field, including 37.6 percent (32-of-85) from 3-point range, and 87.1 percent (81-of-93) from the free throw line to go along with a Big 12-best 8.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 34.9 minutes per game. He is one of just two active Division I players to total more than 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals in a career.
No. 11/13 K-State (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum tonight when the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on ESPNU.
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.
On Monday, Nowell was named the National Player of the Week by NCAA March Madness, ESPN and the Naismith Award presented by Jersey Mike's. In addition, he was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season, joining teammate Keyontae Johnson who was the Newcomer of the Week. It marked the first time in school history that K-State has swept both Big 12 honors in the same week.
Nowell is the third Wildcat to win the USBWA national award and the first since 2011.
Nowell, who became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley with consecutive 30-point performances, averaged an astounding 34.0 points on 54.8 percent (17-of-31) shooting, including 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from 3-point range, in the 2 wins while dishing out an average of 11.5 assists per game. He also connected on 24-of-25 attempts from the free throw line, seeing his streak of 29 consecutive makes end with his miss in his last attempt in overtime.
Nowell opened the week by scoring a career-best 36 points in the school-record 116-103 win over the Longhorns, going 9-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. His point total was the seventh-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State in 2018. The 116 points tied for the most scored in a Big 12 Conference game and was the most by an unranked team in a win a Top 10 opponent since 1988.
Nowell followed with the school's first 30-point/10-assist game in the 97-95 overtime win over the Bears, scoring a game-high 32 points to go with a career-best 14 assists in 43 minutes of play. He became the first Wildcat with consecutive 30-point games since Beasley accomplished it in four straight games from Feb. 23-March 4, 2008. The senior guard's 14 dimes tied the school record for assists in a conference game as well as tied for the second-most in any game in school history. It was also the most assists by a Wildcat in the last 40 years.
It was the first national Player of the Week honor for Nowell, while he was named been named Player of the Week a combined 6 times in two different conferences (3 times in the Sun Belt and twice in the Big 12).
A 5-foot-8, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., Nowell is currently averaging 17 points on 41 percent (71-of-173) from the field, including 37.6 percent (32-of-85) from 3-point range, and 87.1 percent (81-of-93) from the free throw line to go along with a Big 12-best 8.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 34.9 minutes per game. He is one of just two active Division I players to total more than 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals in a career.
No. 11/13 K-State (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum tonight when the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on ESPNU.
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.
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