Markquis Nowell, who grew up in Harlem but had never played at Madison Square Garden before this N.C.A.A. tournament, is everything New York fans tend to love and respect.
Because he grew up here, he uses a play on the nickname Mr. New York City as a social media handle. At 5-foot-7, he is a charismatic and confident showman who talked this week about when, not if, he would “get inducted” into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. And, as he tries to lead Kansas State into the Final Four, it’s clear he sees the Garden as not just another basketball floor, but as a stage.