As the college basketball calendar nears March, national media begin to focus on players who might make an impact in the NCAA Tournament.
Lauri Markkanen has received plenty of coverage this season locally, and even some internationally — there’s been a host of publications from his native Finland flying out to Tucson to cover their prodigy. People have started to take notice.
Both Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports wrote about Markkanen in recent days. USA Today sent its national basketball writer to McKale Center on Thursday, and one recent mock draft went so far as to peg Markkanen for the No. 1 overall pick.
That last bit is unlikely — fellow Pac-12 stars Markelle Fultz (Washington) and Lonzo Ball (UCLA) are the favorites — but the rest is warranted.
Markkanen wasn’t exactly a standout against USC, scoring 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds and two assists.
On Saturday, all eyes will be on Markkanen, and Arizona, as ESPN and its “College GameDay” crew descend on McKale Center.
