GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Markquis Nowell never lost faith, not when Kansas State had hardly anyone left on the roster for a new coach nor when the Wildcats were picked last in the Big 12.
"He always believed," Coach Jerome Tang said, "And he helped me believe."
And that led Kansas State to this decidedly hard-to-believe moment: headed for New York's Madison Square Garden, ticket in hand for the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points after halftime, and Kansas State overcame a horrid start from outside by hitting a couple of clutch three-pointers while topping Kentucky 75-69 in Sunday's second round.
Tang has gone from having just two players on the roster to having a matching number of NCAA wins -- sending the Wildcats (25-9) to their first Sweet 16 since 2018.
"Dudes," Tang said. "We got dudes. That's what it takes. I mean, people get all caught up in the coaching and all of that stuff. It's dudes."
Kansas State faces Michigan State in the East Region semifinals on Thursday.
Kansas State missed its first 13 three-pointers and sat at 2 for 17 when the outside shots started falling. Nowell buried a step-back three-pointer against Cason Wallace to pull within 60-59, soon followed by Ismael Massoud from the right wing for a 64-62 edge with 2:21 left.
Keyontae Johnson added another from that side near the Kansas State bench, making it 67-62 with 1:23 left and creating a jolt with the kind of margin that felt massive considering nearly all of the second half had been played within four points.
The 5-8 Nowell, a third-team Associated Press All-American, played a fearless floor game. He was part of two memorable plays before halftime: a behind-the-back transition pass to Johnson for a dunk, and then a look-away alley-oop to Nae'Qwan Tomlin on the baseline to end the half.
He hit 3 three-pointers, the first over Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe after the 0-for-13 start and another with his left foot on the "March Madness" midcourt logo.
Tshiebwe had 25 points and 18 rebounds for sixth-seeded Kentucky (22-12), which led by eight early in the second half. But the Wildcats never could stretch that lead nor make their own big outside shots (4 for 20).
"Tough way to end," Kentucky Coach John Calipari said. "We had some guys really fight like crazy and then had a couple of guys offensively not play their game the way they played all year. But that stuff happens in this tournament."
Tshiebwe had 25 rebounds in the first-round win against Providence for the most in any tournament game since 1977, and the two-time AP All-American was again a force inside. Wallace had 15 of his 21 points after halftime, including multiple times when the freshman used his 6-4 frame against Nowell inside.
But No. 2 scorer Antonio Reeves (14.6 points) managed five points on 1-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-10 on three-pointers. The only make came with 8 seconds left.
When it was over, KSU players hugged each other at midcourt, with former University of Arkansas and Arkansas State player Desi Sills (12 points) talking animatedly to nearby cameras as he walked around the court.
Later, after most had left the court, Johnson was still hanging around behind the bench to sign autographs. And Tomlin squeezed in one more pass for high-fives of his own before running off with a triumphant point to a cross-court pocket of KSU fans.
MICHIGAN STATE 69,
MARQUETTE 60
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tyson Walker scored 23 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State beat second-seeded Marquette, sending Coach Tom Izzo's squad back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in four years.
Joey Hauser -- a Marquette transfer -- had 14 points and A.J. Hoggard had as 13 Michigan State (21-12) took over in the last three minutes.
It's a familiar situation for Izzo, the 68-year-old Hall of Fame coach who won his 16th March Madness game with a lower-seeded team, the most of any coach. He had shared that record with Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, who retired after this season.
This one was particularly meaningful. Izzo became the face of a grieving school where three students were killed in a campus shooting on Feb. 13.
"It's been a long year," an emotional Izzo said in a courtside interview. "I'm just happy for our guys."
Olivier-Maxence Prosper led Marquette (29-7) with 16 points.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 78,
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 70
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Johnell Davis scored 29 points, Alijah Martin added 14 and Florida Atlantic ended Fairleigh Dickinson's magical moment by outlasting the No. 16 seed.
The ninth-seeded Owls (33-3) needed everything they had to put away the Knights (21-16), who stunned top-seeded Purdue on Friday night in just the second 16-over-1 upset i n men's tournament history.
It will be FAU, not FDU, which will play Tennessee in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Knights couldn't come up with an encore after eliminating Purdue, but not before putting up a fight to the finish.
Demetre Roberts scored 20 points and Sean Moore had 14 for FDU.
Kansas State guard Desi Sills falls with Kentucky's Cason Wallace and Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin after getting fouled during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe passes between Kansas State forward David N'Guessan and guard Markquis Nowell during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Kansas State guard Desi Sills celebrates a dunk by forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin against Kentucky during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Kansas State forward Keyontae Johnson drives to the basket past Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Kentucky head coach John Calipari yells during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) tries to pull the ball away from Kansas State forward David N'Guessan (3) the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Kansas State guard Desi Sills shoots against Kentucky during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)