MVC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
20. Markis McDuffie
A 6’8 wing from Paterson, New Jersey, McDuffie arrived at Wichita State in 2015, eager to contribute to the conference’s best program. He would develop into a solid role over the next two seasons, though the Shockers departed for the AAC in 2017, meaning we’re only looking at McDuffie’s underclassman seasons today.
As a freshman, he averaged 7.4 points off the bench for Wichita State, fitting well into Gregg Marshall’s program. He helped the Shockers win 26 games, including a pair of wins in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. In year two, McDuffie took a step forward, averaging 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds to help lead the Shockers to an MVC Tournament title and another decent run in the Big Dance. He showed signs of stardom, improving every aspect of his game that season.
McDuffie was the MVC Rookie of the Year in a solid showing as a freshman but took things up a notch as a sophomore. With improved numbers and a major role in Wichita State’s success, McDuffie was named First Team All-MVC. He was a significant part of Wichita State’s final seasons in the MVC, and although he struggled initially as a junior, McDuffie did more than enough to defend his spot as one of this conference’s best players in recent memory.