Luka Garza‘s historic collegiate career will come to a close this spring. The Iowa big man will head to the NBA next year after etching his name into the history books as a Hawkeye.
The 6-foot-11 senior recently became the program’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Roy Marble’s previous mark of 2,116 points. Garza is also well on his way to National Player of the Year award, as he continues to add to his extensive list of NCAA accolades.
No matter the outcome in this year’s NCAA tournament, Garza will always be fondly remembered in Iowa City. Perhaps nobody will look back as favorably on the talented big man as Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffrey.
McCaffrey helped to groom the senior into the player he is today, surrounding him with talented shooters and plenty of experience at Iowa. Considering everything he’s seen over the last four years, the Hawkeyes head coach thinks it’s just a matter of time before Garza’s jersey hangs in the rafters at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“It will happen,” McCaffery said when speaking to the media on Tuesday, per Tom Kakert of Hawkeye Report. “It’s a matter of when.”
Fran on retiring Luka’s number, “It will happen, it’s a matter of when.”
— Tom Kakert (@HawkeyeReport) March 2, 2021
Garza likely solidified his case with his impressive 2020-21 season. The Iowa center is averaging 24.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this year, ranking among the best in the Big Ten. Hawkeyes are 18-7 on the year and a top-10 team in the country, which only further proves Garza’s impact.
The senior’s consistency has been a marvel, as he’s scored double digits in all but one game during Iowa’s campaign.
Before his No. 55 jersey is retired, Garza will do his best to lead the Hawkeyes on a deep NCAA Tournament run. Iowa will first close out its regular season with games against Nebraska on Thursday and No. 25 Wisconsin on Sunday.
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