University of Arizona Athletics

Freshman Season (2016-17)
Voted Third Team All-American by Associated Press, USA Today, Sporting News, NBC Sports and NABC… First Team All-Conference Selection… Member of the Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team… Finalist for John R. Wooden Award and the Karl Malone Award… USBWA All-District IX Team… Pac-12 All-Tournament Team member… Two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week; 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63.6 percent from the field in road sweep of the Los Angeles schools before 22.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in road sweep of the Washington schools… Named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (Jan. 24, 2017) following performance in sweep at USC and UCLA… USBWA Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Week and Naismith Trophy Player of the Week following road sweep of Washington schools… Finished season with 576 points, matching Coniel Norman (1972-73) for the second-most points scored by a freshman in UA history… Ended year ranked high in numerous UA freshman records; 69 made three-point field goals (3^rd), .423 three-point field goal percentage (6^th), 137 made free throws (3^rd), .835 free throw percentage (4^th), 266 total rebounds (3^rd)… His 83.5 percent shooting from free throw line led the Pac-12… Only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 12 in scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage… His season-best 30 points vs. Arizona State (Jan. 12, 2017) made him the first UA freshman to score 30 or more points in a game since Jerryd Bayless in the 2007-08 season… Recorded double-digit scoring performances in all but five of his team’s 37 games with nine games of 20 or more points… Capped freshman campaign with six double-doubles… Became the sixth freshman in nation since 1992 to finish a season with at least 500 points, 250 rebounds and 50 made three-pointers… C.A.T.S Academics Student-Athlete of the Month for February.

Prior to Arizona
Rated as a five-star prospect by numerous scouting services, including ESPN, Scout and 24/7 Sports… The highest-rated European prospect of the 2016 class on ESPN to commit to a college program…  Represented his home country of Finland in FIBA U16, U18 and U20 European Championships… Was the leading scorer at the 2016 U20 Euros, averaging 24.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game… Erupted for 33 points, including the game-winning basket, in 2016 U20 Euros versus Spain… Led all players in the 2015 U18 European Championships in scoring at 18.2 points per game while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game… His play in U18 Euros in Greece was highlighted by his 27-point, 10-rebound performance in Finland's win over the Ukraine…  Son of Pekka Markkanen who lettered in basketball at Kansas University before playing professionally in Finland and on Finland's national team.