If ever there was a prospect made for Minnesota, it just might be 7-foot Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen.
He can skate, shoot, score and he likes cold weather, too.
He also has sisu.
If you’re unfamiliar with saunas and St. Urho’s Day as well, sisu doesn’t translate exactly into English. Roughly, it’s a national trait shared by Finns and embodied in their collective resolve, perseverance, stoicism and lasting courage against all odds.
“I know what it is,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said, “and he definitely has it.”
Markkanen played one year and 37 games for Miller, who deemed him the best shooter of any size in a college basketball season that also presented Kentucky’s Malik Monk and Duke’s Luke Kennard.