Markkanen’s surprise rim protection contributes to Arizona winning share of Pac-12 title
Mar 4, 2017, 6:01 PM | Updated: 7:13 pm
Lauri Markkanen has been a monster today. pic.twitter.com/8Z0o6nwUoM
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) March 4, 2017
In the first 30 games of the regular season, Arizona freshman Lauri Markkanen had 12 total blocks.
In just one game, however, Markkanen would get one-fourth of that total in a 73-60 win over Arizona State for No. 7 Arizona in the last game of the regular season.
Despite shooting 0-of-5 from deep to further lengthen his recent shooting slump, Markkanen had three blocks, including two big-time plays on Sun Devil guards Tra Holder and Torian Graham. Not known for being a strong presence around the rim, Markkanen appeared to catch both players off guard with the emphatic rejections.
“Not sure what got into him becuase he’s not much of a shot-blocker,” head coach Sean Miller said after the game. “He’s surely becoming more physical.”
The freshman from Finland picked up two early fouls and had to sit out a majority of the first half, but still finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Most importantly, Markkanen was a team-high plus-23 in the 23 minutes he played.
The win helped Arizona seal a share of the Pac-12 regular-season championship, tying with Oregon in the Pac-12 standings.
The Wildcats will now prepare for the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, which begins on March 8. Arizona and Oregon are the last two winners of the tournament.
