IOWA CITY, Iowa – For the second consecutive season, University of Iowa All-American Luka Garza is one of 15 semifinalists for the Wooden Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player who achieves tremendous on-court success. The announcement was made on Saturday by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) has led the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes to 19 victories this season, including wins in six of their last seven. He leads the nation in total points (621); player efficiency rating (36.37); 30-point games (7); field goals made (231); and 22-point games (17). Garza is eighth nationally in free throw makes (123) and 15th in double-doubles (11).
The native of Washington, D.C., broke the school’s 32-year old record held by Roy Marble on Feb. 21, 2021. His 2,180 points rank 14th best in Big Ten history. In addition to ranking first in career scoring, Garza is first at Iowa in conference scoring (1,380), total field goals made (820), field goal attempts (1,504), and 40-point games (2); second in 30-point games (12); fourth in double-doubles (32) and rebounding (879); sixth in blocked shots (145); eighth in free throw makes (428); and 13th in 3-pointers made (112).
He is the only men’s basketball player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,000 points, 850 rebounds, 125 blocked shots, and 100 3-pointers and he is the only player from a major conference with those numbers dating back to the 1992-93 season. Garza is the only Hawkeye in school history to amass four 400-point seasons and two 600-point seasons.
No. 5 Iowa (19-7, 13-6) will host 25th-ranked Wisconsin (16-10, 10-9) on Sunday in Iowa City. The game will be televised nationally on FOX.
2021 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot
Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
Jared Butler, Baylor
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Luka Garza, IOWA
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Evan Mobley, USC
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova