IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Luka Garza has become the first University of Iowa men’s basketball player to be voted first-team All-America by the Associated Press (AP) in consecutive seasons.
The AP announced its 2021 Men’s Basketball All-America teams on Tuesday, which included Garza for a second straight year. Garza received every vote to be the only unanimous selection by the 63-person media voting panel. Joining Garza on the first team are Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Jared Butler of Baylor, and Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham.
The Associated Press is one of four outlets used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News). Garza was named to the first-team All-America squad by Sporting News last week with USBWA and the NABC expected to make their announcements in the coming weeks.
Garza is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, Senior CLASS Award, and the Lute Olson Award.
Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) has led the eighth-ranked Hawkeyes to 21 victories this season, including wins in eight of their last 10 contests. The Washington, D.C., native leads the nation in total points (687); player efficiency rating (35.84); 30-point games (7); field goals made (258); and 20-point games (19). Garza is seventh nationally in free throw makes (134) and attempts (188), and 10th in double-doubles (13).
The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year averaged 21.9 points per game during the 20-game conference schedule, becoming the third player since 1990 to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons (Michigan State’s Steve Smith and Evan Turner of Ohio State).
Garza broke the Iowa’s 32-year old scoring record held by Roy Marble on Feb. 21, 2021. His 2,246 points rank eighth-best in Big Ten history. In addition to ranking first in career scoring, Garza is tops at Iowa in conference scoring (1,399), total field goals made (847), field goal attempts (1,558), and 40-point games (2); second in rebounds (916) and 30-point games (12); fourth in double-doubles (34); fifth in blocked shots (153); sixth in free throw makes (439) and attempts (625); and 13th in 3-pointers made (113). He is the only men’s basketball player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,200 points and 900 rebounds.
No. 2 seed Iowa (21-8) will open NCAA Tournament play on Saturday against 15th-seeded Grand Canyon (17-6). Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 5:25 p.m. (CT) at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.
2021 LUKA GARZA HONORS
• Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
• Sporting News National Player of the Year
• USBWA District VI Player of the Year
• First Team All-America (Associated Press, Sporting News)
• Wooden Award National Ballot
• Senior CLASS Award Finalist
• Naismith Trophy Semifinalist
• Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy Finalist
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist
• Lute Olson Award Midseason Top 30