IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on Friday its All-Americans and five finalists for the 2021 Wooden Award, which includes University of Iowa men’s basketball senior center Luka Garza. The prestigious award recognizes the most outstanding men’s college basketball player.
Joining Garza as a finalist for the esteemed award are Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois, and Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert.
Garza has already been named the national player of the year by Sporting News, Basketball Times, and The Athletic. Garza, who is Iowa’s first two-time unanimous first-team All-American, is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, Senior CLASS Award, and Lute Olson Award.
Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) led the nationally-ranked Hawkeyes to 22 victories and a third place Big Ten finish in 2021. The Washington, D.C., native led the nation in total points (747); player efficiency rating (35.84); 30-point games (8); field goals made (281); and 20-point games (22). Garza ranked fifth nationally in free throw attempts (199), eighth in free throw makes (141), and 11th in double-doubles (13). His 747 points bested his previous school single-season record of 740 points set last season.
In his final game as a Hawkeye, Garza poured in 36 points and cleared nine rebounds. The 36 points are the most points scored by any Division I player in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and ties Bill Logan’s school record set against Temple 65 years ago on March 22, 1956.
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. He finished his Hawkeye career with 2,306 points rank seventh-best in Big Ten history. In addition to ranking first in career scoring, Garza is tops at Iowa in 30-point games (13), conference scoring (1,399), field goals made (870), field goal attempts (1,594), and 40-point games (2); second in rebounds (931); fourth in double-doubles (34); fifth in blocked shots (154); sixth in free throw makes (446) and attempts (636); and 16th in 3-pointers made (120). He is the only men’s basketball player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,250 points and 900 rebounds.
The 45th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men’s most outstanding college basketball player will take place on SportsCenter on ESPN on April 6.
2021 LUKA GARZA HONORS
• Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
• Sporting News, Basketball Times, The Athletic National Player of the Year
• USBWA District VI Player of the Year
• First Team All-America (NABC, Associated Press, Sporting News, USBWA)
• Wooden Award Finalist & All-American
• Senior CLASS Award Finalist
• Naismith Trophy Finalist
• Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy Finalist
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist
• Lute Olson Award Midseason Top 30