Markis McDuffie first set foot on Devlin Court a lanky, immature 17-year-old. His body resembled Gumby, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said, and his limbs flailed different directions when he took ridiculous shots.
It’s now that Marshall looks at McDuffie with praise, recognizing him as a “true warrior.”
Those tribulations are what helped McDuffie prepare for his greatest challenge — returning as Wichita State’s lone four-year senior on a team made up of seven freshmen. Glaring inexperience opened Wichita State up for poor stretches where the team lost six out of seven games. That was quite an off-putting sequence for someone who’s been a member of squad that’s only made the NCAA Tournament and won at least 25 games every year he’s been here.