"It took me 17 years & 7 months" 2023 NBA draft prospect Markquis Nowell declaring his overnight success on Twitter gets a warm welcome from fans

After five seasons of playing college basketball, Markquis Nowell is heading to the professional stage. The point guard declared for the 2023 NBA draft in March, putting an end to his time at Kansas State after an astonishing performance in the NCAA Tournament.

Nowell started his college career at Little Rock in 2019. He spent three seasons playing for the Trojans before transferring to Kansas State University for the 2021-22 season. His first season performance with the Wildcats under Bruce Weber was good enough.

However, the New York City-born point guard really made a name for himself last season under the tutelage of Jerome Tang. He led the Kansas State Wildcats all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. This has in many quarters given him a label of "overnight success."

He took to Twitter on Wednesday to comment about how years of hard work had brought him this far. The NBA hopeful mentioned how he's been committed to the game for more than 17 years. The post has received a lot of support from the college world, especially from Kansas State fans.

"Never took a handout, never cried nor complained. I worked hard for this, it took me 17 years & 7 months to become an overnight success."

Here are some of the reactions to the point guard’s tweet:

Markquis Nowell’s journey in Kansas State

After three successful seasons with the Little Rock Trojans, Markquis Nowell made his way to Kansas State through the transfer portal in 2021. During the 2021-22 season, he achieved an average of 12.4 points, along with team-leading statistics of 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Following the hiring of Jerome Tang as head coach to succeed Bruce Weber, Nowell was among the two players who decided to return to Kansas State. The season saw him record an impressive average of 17.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 8.3 apg.

His incredible performance in the 2022-23 season earned him recognition in the All-Big 12 first team as well as the All-Defensive Team. He also had an astonishing performance in the NCAA tournament as Kansas State progressed through to the Elite 8.

Markquis Nowell is expected to be a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft

Florida Atlantic v Kansas State

Markquis Nowell's draft stock increased significantly after his impressive outing during the NCAA tournament. Many analysts predicted him to be an early second-round pick after breaking the March Madness single-game assist record against Michigan State.

However, concerns about his height are beginning to spring up once again. The point guard stands 5-foot-7, which is deemed short for the NBA. Nowell is not new to this, as his height has held him back several times in the past.

Height concerns were one of the primary factors that prevented him from attending a prestigious Division I college immediately after graduating from high school. He has, however, seen the constant concern as a motivation, more importantly on his route to the NBA.

Here's what he said in a recent telephone interview with the New York Post:

“I use it as fuel, motivation to prove people who don’t believe in me wrong. It’s another chapter in the book, it’s another story I have to write to make it to the NBA. I’m just happy that I even get to showcase my talents in front of scouts.”

Markquis Nowell is expected to be selected in the second round of the upcoming 2023 NBA draft by many analysts, but to which team remains the question.