No. 7 Arizona goes for 14th straight vs. Washington (Jan 29, 2017)
Arizona coach Sean Miller, in no uncertain terms, believes freshman Lauri Markkanen isn't getting the attention he deserves.
"For him not to be considered one of the best freshmen in college basketball is a complete joke," Miller said. "I mean, I will put him up against anybody -- not just a freshman -- with the quality of player he is. Period. I don't care if you're from Finland, Russia, China, Japan, North Dakota, Florida, California, New York City.
"If you have eyes and you're watching Arizona play, there aren't many players who play the way he plays."
Markkanen, a 7-foot forward from Finland, is averaging a team-high 17.0 points for seventh-ranked Arizona, which will play Washington on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (19-2, 8-0 Pac-12) will be trying to win their 14th consecutive game.
It will be quite a freshmen showcase, with the struggling Huskies (9-11, 2-6) featuring point guard Markelle Fultz, a potential No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Markkanen's calling card is his uncommon shooting touch, as he leads the conference by hitting 50.5 percent of his 3-point attempts (52 of 103). That is nearly unheard of at any level for a 7-footer. He has drained 20 of 29 3-pointers in the past five games.
Markkanen has a full offensive package, though, able to score in the low post and put the ball on the floor to create his own shot.
"He pretty much takes what the defense gives," Miller said. "I think that also reflects his percentage; he's a smart player, an unselfish player."
Markkanen might be catching some by surprise because he didn't play high school ball in the United States, but everybody saw Fultz coming as a top recruit. Fultz is averaging 23.7 points -- five more than anybody else in the Pac-12 -- and is second in assists with 6.2 per game.
Fultz is also grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game, making him the only player in the country, through Friday's games, averaging at least 20 points, six assists and six rebounds. He is coming of a game in which he had 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in an 86-75 loss at Arizona State on Thursday.
"If it were a night where we were just making our shots at a normal rate, he probably would have had 15 or 16 assists," said Washington coach Lorenzo Romar. "But we missed a lot of wide-open shots with him delivering the basketball. He played exceptionally well."
Washington hasn't had enough around him, especially defensively, with shot-blocking center Malik Dime out with a finger injury. The Huskies are allowing opponents to hit 47.0 percent from the field in Pac-12 play.
Arizona, with guard Allonzo Trier back, should take advantage. The sophomore is averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 assists in two games after missing the first 19 due to an NCAA suspension.
"Sometimes, they would have scoring droughts, and I think Allonzo puts an end to all that," Romar said about the difference Trier makes to the Wildcats' lineup. "He's such a gifted scorer. So as good as they are, they're about to get better."
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Arizona has won six in a row in the series.
