It was everything a kid could dream of, you know?
With the Big 12 winning back-to-back national championships (Kansas ’22, Baylor ’21), the conference had established itself as the premier conference in college basketball heading into the 2023 season.
When the results of the Big 12 Preseason Poll were released back in mid November, just 4 points separated Baylor from Kansas at the top.
While the debates between Baylor and Kansas took place, one thing seemed to be for certain — it was going to be an ugly year for the rebuilding Kansas State Wildcats after a coaching change and mass transfer exodus.
Highly sought after first year head coach Jerome Tang started out with a roster of only two players — playmaker Markquis Nowell and sharpshooter Ismael Massoud.
A unique duo to say the least. Nowell — the shortest player in the conference at 5’8″ and then Ismael Massoud who didn’t start really playing basketball until his move to Harlem.
I actually grew up skateboarding, and then I moved to Harlem and I was the tall kid that didn’t really play basketball,” said Massoud. “But then I saw everyone was playing basketball so I started playing because I wanted to hang out with the other kids and just fell in love with it from there.”
Tang, a new-age recruiter who played an instrumental role with Baylor and their national championship in 2021, wasted no time signing his first recruit — 6’10” Nae’Qwan Tomlin from Division II Chipola College, another Harlem native.
With the Harlem trio solidifying the foundation, Tang was able to add key pieces in the transfer portal and put together a roster with some of the best athletes in the nation.
The Wildcats vastly outperformed expectations. After a 23-9 regular season, Kansas State did enough to earn themselves a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
When a locker room video of the team listening to “Low Down” by Lil Baby went viral (1.2M views), Kansas State quickly became a fan-favorite.
After wins over 14-seed Montana State and popular upset pick, 6-seed Kentucky, Kansas State was off to New York City for the Sweet 16 in Madison Square Garden.
Awaiting Kansas State was one of the best coaches in the country — Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans.
Izzo is known for success in the NCAA Tournament, a true staple of March. Despite being a 7-seed, Michigan State was favored to win over Kansas State.
But for Nowell, Tomlin, and Massoud, this game meant everything to them. It was a rare opportunity to come home. Massoud acknowledges the game took on special significance for the trio.
I can’t even put it into words,” said Massoud. “It was just a dream come true. It was everything a kid could dream of you know? From growing up playing in the parks to now playing in Madison Square Garden, it was just amazing.
Massoud showed out in front of the New York crowd, putting on his best performance of the year with a season-high 15 points, shooting 4-for-6 from three.
Massoud’s big game, alongside a record setting 20 points and 19 assists from Nowell, boosted Kansas State over Michigan State in an overtime thriller, 98-93.
Despite the heroics, Kansas State’s improbable run came to an end in the Elite Eight to a Florida Atlantic team that currently has multiple players testing NBA waters. From the on-court wizardry of Nowell, to the logo threes from Massoud, to Lil Baby in the locker room — the legacy this team left will last a lifetime.
With Nowell going to the NBA and Tomlin likely to follow him out the door, Massoud has hit the transfer portal.
When asked about what he’s going to miss the most about this team, Massoud said “Just the comradery and chemistry. It’s not even necessarily on the court, it’s all the traveling together and just being around the guys on a daily basis.”