There is so much to write about Nae'Qwan Tomlin that it stretches the brain. He's a 6-foot-10, 210-pound talent who Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang calls a "position-less player," which is dangerous because he can play power forward, small forward or shooting guard. He's a raw prodigy from Harlem, New York, a 22-year-old who still has no idea how good he can be, a junior college All-America product who added 16 pounds of muscle over the summer, and who has at least one more year with the Wildcats.
He's a young man who didn't play high school basketball and grew up playing streetball at legendary Rucker Park, which is located right across the street from his elementary school. He's played organized basketball for a total of four years. He's a young man who is inspired by his mother, who loves his younger brother and his younger sister, and who has plenty to play for in this game of life. He's a guy who arrived at K-State as the No. 7 prospect by 2022 JuCoRecruiting.com. Some believe he'll emerge as a considerable NBA prospect.
His story is far from finished.
"He's got as much talent as anybody I've ever coached," Tang says. "His upside is through the roof."
He's wide-eyed yet determined, he's eager yet patient, he throws down some of the nastiest dunks in K-State history yet leaves opposing coaches, players, and fans aghast with his ability to hit the 3-pointer. He has length yet he's fluid, he can defend and sprint, and, when needed, he's comfortable handling the ball in transition.
And his transition to major college basketball this year continues even today.
"The adjustment to Division I basketball actually went pretty quick for Nae'Qwan, but then the adjustment to scouting reports kind of took a toll on him," Tang says. "He's working on how to work consistently, and that's going to help his game. We've seen him be really good and then really bad. We just need him to continue to develop the same old boring habits and build a consistent work ethic."
But Tomlin has made his presence felt for the Wildcats.
"Just having him this year is a huge piece of our success," senior point guard Markquis Nowell says. "I can't wait to see how much better he gets down the line."
And here he is in Greensboro, North Carolina, and he came up big in the second half of the Wildcats' 77-65 win over Montana State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes and has now scored in double figures in 18 games. He had a monster jam that shook the rim.
It's nothing new. And it's definitely something that Tomlin has dreamed about all his life.
"It's a dream come true because growing up in Harlem not everybody gets the opportunity like this," Tomlin says. "I just want to thank God."
He played through four fouls against Montana State. Fouls have been the Achilles heel for him this season. Everybody has a kryptonite. Afterward, Tang said that if Tomlin could cut down his fouls and play 30 minutes, the Wildcats could be really good. And that's a scary thought considering No. 3-seed K-State, 24-9, is the highest seed in Greensboro, and finished No. 15 in the final AP Top 25 poll, and will face Kentucky, 22-11, at 1:40 p.m. for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in New York City — Tomlin's hometown.
"It's definitely some motivation to continue playing, to play in the Garden," Tomlin says, "but we want to take it one game at a time."
He's third on the team in averaging 10.2 points per game and is shooting 49.2% from the floor and has hit 18 3-pointers and averages 5.8 rebounds and ranks second on the team with 38 total steals and leads the team with 28 total blocks. He had his first-career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against No. 2 Kansas. He had 17 points and a season high-tying 10 rebounds at Oklahoma.
He averaged 9.1 points on 50.4% shooting (64-of-127) with 5.7 rebounds in Big 12 play. He scored in double figures seven times against Big 12 teams.
And there's simply so much more he can do.
"Nae'Qwan is a big piece for us," Keyontae Johnson says. "He's a mismatch for other teams. He's only played four years, and this is his first year on the big stage and he's done a hell of a job. He has great upside and I can't wait to see what he's got in store for sure."
Tomlin still has at least one game left in his first season in Manhattan. But there's no doubting his upside going forward.
"Only the Good Lord knows where I can go from here," Tomlin says. "In the offseason, I definitely worked hard but the experience was new to me coming into this (Big 12) league. I always heard it was going to be the best conference in college basketball and I knew it was going to be super physical. That's something I wanted so I could prove myself. The coaching staff believed in me.
"I definitely want to get better next year."
And that's a scary thought, indeed.
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'Not Everybody Gets the Opportunity Like This' - Kansas State University Athletics - K-StateSports.com
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