Hawk Item – Preferred walk-on… father, Parker, coached alongside Fran McCaffery at Notre Dame for seven seasons in the 1990’s… competed against and met classmate, Riley Mulvey (St. Thomas More), for the first time a couple days after verbally committing to Iowa… Laketa’s grandfather, Don, played basketball at Wichita State (1952-55) for head coach Ralph Miller, who eventually went on to become the head coach at Iowa (1964-70).
2023-24 Honors —Academic All-Big Ten. 2023-24 — Appeared in four games, averaging 2.9 minutes… totaled four points and one assists… made his only field goal attempt — a 3-pointer — scoring four points in the win over Florida A&M (12/16)… letterwinner.
2022-23 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten. 2022-23 — Saw limited action in four games… totaled four points and four rebounds… letterwinner.
2021-22 — Competed in 12 games… sank one 3-pointer in three contests (Alabama State, Western Michigan, Northwestern)… made 3-of-5 (.600) from 3-point range… his 3-pointer in the final seconds against Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament Second Round was the team’s 19th of the game, establishing a new single-game record in the tournament… letterwinner.
High School – Reclassified to 2021 after the end of his senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic… was an all-district honoree his junior season, averaging 13.5 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals on Hanover Horton High School’s team that went 24-2… an all-state selection as a senior, averaging 15 points (shooting 60 percent from the field, including 45 percent from 3-point range), 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals on a 21-1 team that was surging before COVID-19 canceled the 2020 postseason state tournament… tallied a career-high 31 points in the 2018 regional championship state tournament game… member of high school team that won its conference championship as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and placed second as a freshman… also was a four-year soccer letterwinner, two-year lettermen in baseball, and competed on the golf team… off the field, Laketa participated in the Community Service Club.
Personal — Born 8/23/01… parents are Parker and Brigitte Laketa… father played basketball at Kansas State… mother competed in gymnastics at Western Michigan… has two older brothers, Parker and Preston, and a twin brother, Rhett… brother, Parker, played lacrosse at Western Michigan… brother, Preston, played basketball at Alma College and Carthage College… twin, Rhett, plays basketball at North Central College… Hanover Horton HS head coach was Chad Mortimer… The Winchendon School head coach was Kevin Kehoe… AAU Coach was his father, Parker… majoring in enterprise leadership.
CAREER BESTS
Points: 4 vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
Rebounds: 2 vs. Southeast Missouri State, 12/17/22
FGM: 1, 5X, last vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
FGA: 1, 10X, last vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
3-pt FG: 1, 5X, last vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
3-pt FGA: 1, 9X, last vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
FTM: 1, 2X, last vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
FTA: 4 vs. Florida A&M, 12/16/23
Assists: 1, 2X, last vs. North Dakota, 11/7/23
Steals: 1, 2x, last vs. Michigan State, 2/22/22
Blocks: —
Minutes: 6 vs. Western Michigan, 11/22/21