The ‘other’ Luka: Iowa basketball star Luka Garza making a name for himself

You know about Luka Doncic, but now, you need to learn about the “other” Luka, Iowa basketball big man, Luka Garza, who demands your attention.

When the words “Luka” and “basketball” are mentioned together, most think of Dallas Mavericks breakout sensation, Luka Dončić. However, most don’t associate that idea with Iowa basketball big man, Luka Garza but they should start.

The junior is having one of the best seasons of any player Fran McCaffery has had during his tenure with the University of Iowa.

Last year, Garza teamed up with Tyler Cook —now in the NBA— to form one of the most dominant frontcourts in college basketball. Combined, they averaged 27.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. This year, by himself, he’s putting up 23.1 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Hawkeyes.

In a crowded Big Ten, Iowa is tied for fourth place with a 6-3 record entering Thursday night’s game at Maryland but just one game behind Illinois and Michigan State in the loss column. Given that Iowa lost rotation players, Jordan Bohannon and Jack Nunge, to season-ending injuries, it only magnified the performance Garza has put together.

The 6-foot-11, 260-pound D.C. native is likely to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors as long as Iowa remains in contention for the regular-season title. The leap he’s made isn’t totally surprising. He was a top-100 recruit coming out of high school and he played for the well-known AAU program, Team Takeover too.

One person who knew Garza had this in him was Iowa basketball head coach Fran McCaffery who told Garza’s dad when Luka was 15 that, “he’ll score over 2,000 points [in his college career].” He’s currently at 1,280 and if he opts to stay for his senior year it is more likely than not that McCaffery’s prediction will come true.

The primary reason behind the change in Garza’s play has been meditation. He does it three times a day before games; two times on his own and once with his father. The decision was in response to a rough stretch of games last season where he only scored 16 total points after scoring 20-plus in four consecutive games.

Garza told Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated, “I was so worried about whether I was gonna get 20 again, and it was giving me anxiety. I want to be centered and present, never too high or too low. There’s too much you could worry about if you let your mind go there.”

Mental preparation can go a long way but Luka didn’t stop there, he also put the time in on the court too. During the offseason, he did three workouts a day with his dad. That commitment has helped him become the offensive focal point in Iowa City.

Naturally, at his size, he’s a handful for any defender in the paint. He’s a brute in the interior, welcoming the physicality that comes with playing primarily in the post. His strength allows him to take contact but not get knocked off-balance or out of position. He also has great footwork and knows how to use pivots to get a better look at the basket.

The Michigan Wolverines have seen the type of impact he can single-handedly have on a game. Jon Teske entered the season as the perceived best center in the conference. Through two meetings, Garza compiled a total of 77 points compared to Teske’s 30. Juwan Howard said of him to Sports Illustrated, “He’s proven that he’s one of the best college basketball players in the country.”

Yet, he’s expanded his game to become a more well-rounded offensive player. The second meeting against Michigan, which they won, was exemplary of the additions he has made to his repertoire. He made 10 shots in that game. Five were in the paint, three were from the midrange and he drained two 3-pointers.

With more defenses attempting to shut Garza down or at least contain him, finding new ways to score is critical to this team. In McCaffery’s offense, there’s a lot of screens, player movement and ball movement. Oftentimes, the result is Garza isolated on the post. There are times when he will find himself at the elbows or top of the key too. If opponents have to worry about him from those spots too it opens the floor for his teammates to make plays too.

Of the 11 games remaining, five come against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. That includes two meetings with Illinois and a road matchup against the Spartans. Those Iowa City have known that they had something special and now he has his chance to take the team to heights unforeseen.

If Garza wants to cement his status as the player of the year —both in the conference and nationally— he will have ample opportunity to show everyone just how good he is, all while making a name for himself as that “other” Luka.

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