The Clear Choice: Luka Garza wins AP Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
“This is not an individual honor but a team award, and I am so proud to be able to bring this award home to Iowa City.” Gratitude rang through Luke Garza’s words. His reception of the award was fresh in his mind. Iowa gave him the opportunity to accomplish his dreams and for that, he would be indebted to them forever. His teammates became a part of his family and he would share this victory with them.
Luka Garza's devotion to the game of basketball and his ability as a leader made him the clear choice as AP men’s basketball player of the year. In 2020, the Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team had yet another mediocre season, finishing eleven and nine. That was no fault of Luka Garza. He had tried his best—no doubt. He almost won player of the year. However, this year was unlike any other he had played. Luka was now a senior and undoubtedly the star of the team. That title, regardless of whether he wanted it, came with immense pressure. Sports fans don’t want normalcy; they want greatness. Luka answered their call.
Standing at 6-foot-11, 265-pounds, Luka was a talented player simply because of his build. However, he separated himself from others through his work ethic and desire to succeed. After averaging 23.9 PPG and 9.8 RPG in his junior year, Luka was expected to outdo himself and that weighed on him; he felt responsible for the team's success. When asked about how he coped with these expectations, Luka revealed that he practiced meditation. In essence, he dealt with the new pressure by challenging it head-on. Many may have tried to ignore it, but Luka wanted that responsibility. He wanted to win. So he tried to do anything that could give him an edge. Unlike other players in contention, he thrived in that discomfort.
Mentality was only one part of the game, Luka needed to be physically better. Evidently, he understood this and came into his senior year with vengeance. He didn’t topple his junior year stats, but he became one of the most complete players of his class. He averaged 24.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7APG, and 1.6 BPG. A more obvious evolution was Luka’s shooting. He raised his FT% by 5%, his FG% by 2%, and his 3P% from 35.8% to 44.0%. He did all this while averaging more blocks than turnovers. Not many players could match his stat line, but his improvement launched him even further above the competition. Luka was not to be outdone.
Arguably a more important quality, his leadership skills were integral in his selection for the award. In an interview, Luka stated, “If there’s a needle that needs to be pushed if we want to be a championship team, we need to work on that. It can’t always be coach yelling at us. It’s got to be us telling each other what we’ve got to do.” He goes on to say that true leadership is about being genuine and pointing out to your teammates what aspects of their game they can work on. The definition of a great player is someone who makes the people around them play better. That’s what separates the good from the extraordinary.
Luka was invariably the best-suited candidate for Player of the Year. Among the candidates in contention for the award, Luka led in almost every notable stat line. His leadership abilities further cemented that assertion. Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery put it best, “We may never see another one like him.”
