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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected the Arizona's Lauri Markkanen as its
Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending
the week of Sunday, Jan. 22. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented
by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
As the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week, Markkanen was nominated
for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the
USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players
of the week. This is the eighth season that the USBWA has selected
a national player of the week.
Markkanen, 7-0 forward from Jyväskylä, Finland, averaged
20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in a road sweep of USC and UCLA, shooting
14-of-22 from the field (.636) and 8-of-10 (.800) behind the arc. His game-high 23 points (8-12 FG, 5-6 3FG) at USC
marked the 11th game this season he has led the Wildcats in scoring.
He followed up with 18 points (6-10 FG, 3-4 3FG) to help Arizona
win at No. 3 UCLA for its best true road win over a ranked opponent
since downing No. 1 Stanford in March 2001.
Markkanen's performance
helped the Wildcats extend their winning streak to 12 games and
to remain unbeaten in conference play (7-0). Monday, Markkanen was
included in the USBWA's Oscar Robertson Trophy (National Player
of the Year) and Wayman Tisdale Award (National Freshman Player
of the Year) midseason watch lists.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player
of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University
of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year
Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only
one named after a former player.
 At
the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists
for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential
organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America
team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA
and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch
at 314-795-6821.
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive
college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 36th
season. Blue Ribbon – long-known as "The Bible of College Basketball"
– gives its readers the most thorough, up-to-date and timely evaluations
of every Division I team in the country. For more information about
Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit
blueribbonyearbookonline.com.
2016-17 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
• Week ending Dec. 11: Josh Hart, Villanova (Big East Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 18: Malik Monk, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 25: Quentin Snider, Louisville (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 1: Dillon Brooks, Oregon (Pac-12 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 8: Ryan Taylor, Marshall (Conference USA)
• Week ending Jan. 15: Quincy McKnight, Sacred Heart (Northeast Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 22: Lauri Markkanen, Arizona (Pac-12 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 29: Tim Cline, Richmond (Atlantic 10 Conference)
• Week ending Feb. 5: Jacob Wiley, Eastern Washington (Big Sky Conference)
• Week ending Feb. 12: Bonzie Coles, Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week ending Feb. 19: Mike Daum, South Dakota State (The Summitt League)
• Week ending Feb. 26: Elijah Bryant, BYU (West Coast Conference)
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