Markquis Nowell out to again prove his height isn’t issue as NBA draft nears

It’s all happening again. The doubts. The questions. The uncertainty.

Markquis Nowell has been here before. Several times, in fact. He’s heard about his height his entire life, that it would hold him back.

It was a major reason he didn’t go to a major Division I college directly out of high school. Now, it is the reason he may not get selected in Thursday’s NBA draft, at least according to the many mock draft projections.

It’s nothing new to the 23-year-old Harlem native and former Kansas State star.

“I use it as fuel, motivation to prove people who don’t believe in me wrong,” the 5-foot-7 Nowell told The Post in a phone interview. “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.”

Nowell has spent much of his life proving these detractors wrong.

He was a star high school basketball player at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn and The Patrick School (N.J.). He thrived at Arkansas-Little Rock, averaging 17.2 points as a sophomore.

Then he transferred to Kansas State and led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight, putting on a show in his hometown at the Garden in two NCAA Tournament games last March.

He was second in the country in assists (8.3) last season and set a tournament record with 19 assists in a dramatic Sweet 16 overtime win against Michigan State.

But that was college. This is different. At least, that’s the explanation Nowell hears.

He has to prove himself all over again. It has motivated him.

At the start of the process, he checked out different mock drafts and used them as ammunition.

He remembered the guards picked instead of him, and used the slights to not only outwork those players but crush them in team workouts.

“I just wanted to show [teams] that size doesn’t really matter when you play this game,” Nowell said. “It’s about how hard you work and how smart you are.”

As preparation for what was ahead of him, Nowell sought out several short guards for their insight and input.

He spoke to Muggsy Bogues, Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and former Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas.

He talked with Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans, also a New York City native, Kemba Walker and former Knick Nate Robinson.

In fact, Alvarado helped Nowell find his agent, Ron Shade of Octagon.

“It was kind of a reassurance thing,” Nowell said. “You want to build relationships with the people who did it before you. I wanted to see if they had any knowledge or wisdom I can learn from and use throughout my career.

“I’m trying to keep short guards relevant,” he added. “There’s not many of us in the NBA that’s playing at a high level. I want to put on for them.”

Alvarado faced the same uphill battle that Nowell is now dealing with.

Shade said there was a team that was considering taking Alvarado late in the second round, but the team wanted to stash him overseas for a year.

The 6-foot Alvarado opted to become a free agent, signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans and later inked a four-year, $6.8 million contract.

“Both are guards people felt were undersized. Both are guards who when going through the process, teams felt they were things they lacked, but as they went through the workouts, teams felt they offered more than expected,” Shade said.

Nowell took part in 10 NBA workouts and made a point to show his height wouldn’t hurt him at the next level on the defensive end.

He was a pest on defense. He was physical.

One team told Shade that Nowell had the best workout of any guard they brought in. One scout praised Nowell’s shotmaking and passing, but still wondered if his size was too much to overcome.

“It’s so tough to find someone like that [in the NBA],” the scout said. “Think Tremont Waters.”

Waters was drafted 51st by the Celtics in 2019 out of LSU, but appeared in just 40 games across four seasons with four different teams and is now playing overseas. Waters, at 5-foot-10, is taller than Nowell.

Jay Bilas, a college basketball and NBA draft analyst for ESPN, believes Nowell will find a spot for himself because of his total package that was on display throughout a senior year, in which he guided Kansas State to its most wins in a decade.

“He’s either going to get drafted or have his phone ring right away as soon as the draft is over, because he can play. He can really play,” Bilas said. “The only thing he lacks is size. He’s not a big player. But man, that guy can roll. He’s an unbelievable passer. He’s a competitor. He can score.

“I think he’s going to not only play in the NBA, but I think he’s got an opportunity to play for quite some time.”

Nowell is convinced he’s going to make it, whether or not he hears his name called.

He’s come too far. He’s worked too hard. Draymond Green, an infamous draft snub taken 35th overall in 2012, once said it is only the first day of your professional career.

Ultimately, what follows matters much more.

“My belief is high, my belief is strong,” Nowell said. “The film sessions, the on-the-court work, the mental work. I just feel like there’s nobody out there that’s working harder than me. That’s where my confidence comes from.

“I’m going to enjoy the night, whether I’m picked or not. It’s a huge accomplishment for me and my family for pushing through this whole process and getting this far.”