Because he can shoot the lights out and just maybe because he hails from Finland, Lauri Markkanen has an apt nickname: The Finisher.
If only he was from the great country of Reboundia, because there’s got to be some nickname out there for the Finnish freshman freak’s backboard game.
It was Markkanen’s combination of both his on-the-mark shooting and his prodigious rebounding that helped lift Arizona to the 79-62 win over visiting Washington State on Thursday night in McKale Center.
Facing the Pac-12’s third-best rebounder in forward Josh Hawkinson, it was Markkanen who waxed the glass with 13 rebounds on the night. Hawkinson had five.
“For him not to be considered one of the best freshmen in college basketball is a complete joke,” Miller said. “I would put him up against anybody. The quality of player he is, period. I don’t care if you’re from Finland, Russia, Japan, North Dakota, New York City — if you have eyes and you’re watching Arizona play, there aren’t many players who play like he plays.”
In recent weeks, Miller has grown frustrated with his team’s inability to preserve large leads.
On Thursday, there would be no such frustration: Arizona barely had a lead to give up.
What advantage it did have was maintained only because of Markkanen’s standout rebounding.
After starting off with rebounds on three of the game’s first five possessions, Markkanen truly took over in the second half.
In the moment, it sure didn’t seem like the biggest play of the game; just a rebound in a game Arizona would go on to win by 17.
But when Markkanen corralled a loose ball while drawing a foul on Hawkinson with 10 minutes, 38 seconds left in the game, it sent a message.
There will be no bullying Arizona on the boards.
Twenty seconds later, Allonzo Trier hit a jumper.
Three minutes later, Markkanen skied above four Cougar defenders to grab what would be his 10th rebound of the night. Seconds later, Dusan Ristic dropped it in.
A minute after that, another Markkanen rebound, and 10 seconds later, two Trier free throws.
Another 80 seconds gone by, another Markkanen board, this one leading to a Rawle Alkins 3-pointer.
All told, Markannen had seven boards in the second half and Arizona scored after four of them.
“He’s really versatile,” Trier said. “He can do a lot of things, a great shooter. Definitely when we play off each other, it’s tough on the defense.”
Arizona out-rebounded Washington State, 32-20, on Thurday night. Without Markkanen’s 13 boards, the Wildcats lose the battle on the glass. But Markkanen was so much more for the Wildcats on Thursday.
He also added 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-for-7 from behind the arc. It was his third double-double of the season and 11th straight game with 11 points and at least five rebounds.
“Lauri is more than just an offensive threat,” Trier said. “He really rebounds the ball well. We’re trying to do a good job rebounding as a team. It’s something we focus on, finishing off possessions with rebounds.
“I think that has to do with the finishing outcome of this game.”
