Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza withdraws from NBA Draft

Luka Garza will play his senior season for Iowa basketball in 2020-21.

Iowa basketball got some great news on Sunday, as Luka Garza is returning for his senior year.

Garza announced on Twitter Sunday afternoon of his intentions to withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft and to keep playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes. As a junior in 2019-20, Garza was named a consensus First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Player of the Year. At 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, big things are expected out of Garza and Iowa basketball in 2020-21.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish mentioned, “the 6-10 senior is now the clear favorite for National Player of the Year honors. Iowa should be a preseason top-10 team.”

Garza averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 31 games for the 2019-20 Hawkeyes. Iowa has not made it to the Final Four since 1980 and hasn’t won’t the Big Ten since 1979. That’s what’s on the line for Garza and Iowa.

Can Luka Garza give Iowa basketball its best season in over 40 years?

Playing in the Big Ten is always tough. If a team is worth its weight it salt, it will be battle-tested early and often in conference play. Under head coach Fran McCaffrey, Iowa hopes to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time he took over the program in 2010-11. While he does have a winning record at Iowa at 194-143, the Hawkeyes are sub-.500 in Big Ten play at 89-95.

If the Hawkeyes are to be a top-10 team like Parrish suggests they will be in 2020-21 now that Garza has announced he will return to the program, we’re looking at a team capable of winning close to 30 games next season. That’s a top-two seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and anything short of a Sweet Sixteen berth would be a massive disappointment.

While Garza may have been drafted by an NBA team in 2020, returning to Iowa City for his senior year seems to be a great call for him. He can become a legend at his alma mater, while he attempts to give the Hawkeyes their best season on the hardwood since 1980. Can he do it?

Garza returning to Iowa City makes the Hawkeyes one of the better teams in the Big Ten next year.

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