K-State basketball

Markquis Nowell wasn't about to let an ankle injury sideline him in his hometown with Kansas State looking to advance to the Elite Eight.

"When I was at Baylor and I watched film of him, it told us that pound for pound, he was the toughest kid in the Big 12," Tang said. He was saying and he was trying to figure out how to get me here. After Michigan State hit one of two free throws to pull within one, it was Nowell who inbounded under the basket with 4.7 seconds on the shot clock and found Ismael Massoud for an open jumper that made it 96-93 at the 17-second mark. And the crazy thing is I didn't have to figure out how to keep him here. When Nowell left the game with his injury, K-State was up, 50-46, but Michigan State was charging. Nowell and Massoud were the only players that remained from last year's roster. "We stayed calm, trusting the process, and finished strong." Oh yes, and he also had five steals, including one in the closing seconds of overtime to seal the victory. His K-State teammates were stunned as well, watching their vocal and emotional leader writhing in pain after rolling his right ankle on a fearless drive to the basket. Nowell, who grew up in Harlem, now has K-State within one game of the school's first Final Four since 1964. "I just wanted to do it for my teammates," said Nowell, who through three tournament games is averaging 21.3 points, 14 assists and 3.7 steals. "The whole team was worried," forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin said.

The Kansas State men's basketball team's deep run into the NCAA Tournament is putting the university on prospective students' radar.

Watch on [TBS](https://www.tbs.com/) or the [CBS March Madness mobile app](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament/), or [listen on the radio or online through the K-State Sports Network.](https://www.kstatesports.com/coverage) [take on the Michigan State Spartans](https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/cat-zone/2023/03/22/how-to-watch-kansas-state-mens-basketball-game-against-michigan-state-ncaa-tournament-sweet-16/70036905007/) at 5:30 p.m. But the team's [inspired performances](https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/cat-zone/2023/03/16/kansas-state-mens-basketball-montana-state-preview-ncaa-tournament-march-madness/70015649007/) have highlighted the university's name across millions of screens and busted brackets, and it's a kind of visibility university officials hope to turn from recognition to interest to application to admittance and finally, enrollment. "Certainly, Coach Tang and the team are great ambassadors of K-State." He can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia. [How to watch and listen to Kansas State basketball vs. "That was at a time when not every school got the kind of exposure they can get now," Winter said. But what we love is that we have so many of these things, and K-State Michigan State in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament](https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/cat-zone/2023/03/22/how-to-watch-kansas-state-mens-basketball-game-against-michigan-state-ncaa-tournament-sweet-16/70036905007/) Boston College reported a surge in applications following that football season. "They want to find an institution that offers the kinds of programs and a campus environment that appeals to them.

SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball picks for Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Kansas State Wildcats in the Elite Eight round of March Madness 2023.

From there, Kansas State can ride the effectiveness of All-Big 12 guard FAU](https://www.sportsline.com/college-basketball/game-forecast/NCAAB_20230325_FAU@KSTATE/) and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can [head to SportsLine to see the picks](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2023-ncaa-tournament-florida-atlantic-vs-kansas-state-game-line-odds-advanced-college-basketball-model-releases-pick-for-elite-eight-matchup/#ttag=03242023_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_ncaa_model_KansasStateFAUCBB). Kansas State maintains efficiency in making 53.2% of 2-point attempts, and Florida Atlantic struggles in rim protection, including an ugly 6.7% block rate for the season. As a team, Florida Atlantic is in the top 15 of the country in offensive efficiency, scoring 112.6 points per 100 possessions. [Johnell Davis](/college-basketball/players/3178145/johnell-davis/), who is playing exceptionally well in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Kansas State's offense is flying high right now after an impressive performance against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Here are several [college basketball odds](https://www.sportsline.com/college-basketball/odds) and trends for FAU vs. 3 seed [Kansas State Wildcats](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/KSTATE/kansas-state-wildcats/) in the East Regional final. Before locking in any Kansas State vs. [Florida Atlantic Owls](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/FAU/florida-atlantic-owls/) face the No. Kansas State odds.

Half of the Elite Eight is set with Kansas State and Florida Atlantic in East and Connecticut and Gonzaga in West advancing. A look at the four teams.

That's the Owls' record this season when sophomore guard Johnell Davis leads the team in scoring, as he did against Tennessee (15 points). In the Owls' defense, this is a 34-3 team that just beat Tennessee 62-55 without falling victim to the brutally physical style that stymied Duke in the second round. Nowell followed that with 27 points and nine assists in a 75-69 win against No. He had 17 points and 14 assists in the Wildcats' 77-65 win against No. “We’ve never thought of ourselves in that regard just because of the success of our league and our guys being able to do what they did over a 20-game schedule. And while he's the Wildcats' breakout star, the Owls will also have to contend with forward Keyontae Johnson, who had 22 points and six rebounds against the Spartans. 5 Saint Mary's and then 88-65 against the No. UConn started slowly in those wins against Iona and Saint Mary's before dominating the second half. 14 Iona, 70-55 against No. Also on Thursday, No. The senior and three-time All-America pick has put Gonzaga on his back in tournament play. 4 Connecticut ran all over No.

The Kansas State Wildcats beat the Michigan State Spartans in a Sweet 16 basketball game in New York. Markquis Nowell led KSU to victory on one healthy ...

“It was like a Rocky fight tonight,” Nowell said. “I knew that when I got here I had to figure out a way to keep that dude here. Nowell twice connected with Keyontae Johnson on lob dunks and he continually got the ball to Ismael Massoud for a surprising 15 points. This was arguably the most entertaining game of the entire NCAA Tournament. The crazy thing is that I didn’t have to figure out how to keep him here. “It is nothing new to us. Nowell made a pair of three-pointers, he drained a combination of five layups and floaters, he connected on all four of his free throws and he found his teammates for open looks with a plethora of nifty passes. That much was clear as the Spartans surged into the lead with Nowell on the bench. Then he put EMAW nation at ease when he banked in a three-pointer as soon as he touched the ball. K-State players admitted they were concerned when Nowell had to leave the game. He threw a towel on the ground in disgust as he watched the Spartans score. Then they started to sweat when the senior K-State point guard was unable to stand under his own power and limped off the floor with the help of two team trainers.

After a nailbiter of a Sweet 16 game Thursday, K-State fans at Chicken N Pickle jumped for joy as they were one step closer to a national championship game.