Pac-12 Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

23. Lauri Markkanen

There was no shortage of intriguing recruits in Tucson and Markkanen certainly fit that bill. A 7’0 center and top 100 prospect originally from Finland, he joined Sean Miller’s program back in 2016 and would spend just his freshman year in the Pac-12, developing into quite a star in a short period of time.

In that lone collegiate year, he averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, with great shooting numbers from all over the court. A career-high 30-point performance came against rival Arizona State and he put up 29 points in the Pac-12 Tournament against UCLA, a day before the Wildcats won that title. Markkanen then led the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen.

It was clear that Markkanen had an impressive game. He was First Team All-Pac-12 and really emerged on the national stage. He was actually the conference’s top free throw shooter and one of their most efficient scorers as well. Markkanen did fantastic work for a Wildcats team that won multiple games in the Big Dance and he set himself up well for the future. A few months later, he’d become the 7th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.