The Arizona Wildcats cemented themselves as one of the teams to beat in the NCAA tournament with an impressive 100-82 victory over North Dakota on Thursday.
Arizona’s 100-point March Madness opener shows why the Wildcats are a real Final Four threat
Slowing down Lauri Markkanen is harder than spelling his name.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
It’s the third time in program history that Arizona has scored at least 100 points in an NCAA tournament game:
What’s more impressive than Arizona’s 100-point outing was the fact that the Wildcats made it look easy. Freshmen Lauri Markkanen and Rawle Alkins dropped 20 points apiece, and Alkins — who went two-for-two both from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line — didn’t miss a single shot the entire night.
Sean Miller’s Wildcats, conventionally known for their strong pack-line defense, have emerged as an offensive superpower, and that should scare just about every other team in the tournament. With playmakers up and down the roster — every member of the team put points on the board against North Dakota — Arizona’s offensive prowess is what has turned a perennial contender into a 2017 juggernaut.
Markkanen, who will more than likely be a top-10 NBA draft pick in June should he declare, is a 7-footer who can do it all. The Finnish forward can score from both inside and beyond the arc, with a .490 field-goal percentage and a .432 three-point percentage. He can also do everything else, from rebounding to defending to simply moving up and down the court like someone who doesn’t tower over his competition. For all intents and purposes, Markkanen is pretty much the next Kristaps Porzingis.
Then there’s Allonzo Trier, who returned after missing the first 19 games with a PED suspension and has given the offense a major shot in the arm. Trier, who put up 18 on Thursday night, is one of the more dominant players in the tournament, and he might not even be the best player on his own team. Averaging 17.3 points per game, five rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game, Trier has been an integral piece in the Wildcats dominant offense.
With supporting pieces like Alkins, 7-foot Dusan Ristic, Kadeem Allen, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and 6’11 Chance Comanche, Arizona boasts an immensely deep roster. With an impressive defense and an even more powerful offense, the Wildcats might just be the team to beat this year.
See More:
