Another one: Luka Garza adds prestigious national honor to impressive trophy case
Luka Garza is not done yet, adding one more national honor to his growing trophy case Saturday afternoon.
After a record-breaking career with the Hawkeyes, Garza has already raked in a number of individual honors. Earlier in the week, Garza was awarded the Lute Olsen National Player of the Year Award.
On Saturday, it was another Player of the Year Award that was handed out to Garza, though this one holds a bit more prestige. This time, Garza was honored as the Naismith Men’s Player of the Year.
There is only one way to close the book on a record-breaking career at @IowaHoops…
The 2021 @jerseymikes Naismith Men's Player of the Year is @LukaG_55! 🥳🥳
Garza delivers #HawkeyeNation its first Naismith Men's honor in school history. 👏 pic.twitter.com/DeYZy6tKpl
— The Naismith Trophy (@NaismithTrophy) April 3, 2021
According to the Naismith Trophy, Garza’s honor makes Iowa one of six schools to have a men’s and women’s winner in program history. Women’s star Megan Gustafson won the award in 2019:
With Garza securing the 🏆, he and 2019 winner @GustafsonMeg10 puts Iowa in elite company as 1 of 6 schools who have won the Naismith Men's AND Women's POY. Not to mention @LisaBluder won the @wernerladderco Naismith Women's COY back in 2019 as well!
— The Naismith Trophy (@NaismithTrophy) April 3, 2021
The 2020 men’s winner of the Naismith Trophy was Obi Toppin out of Dayton.
Garza was truly one of the dominant performers in the country this season, finishing second in the nation while averaging 24.1 points per game. He also averaged 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the floor and an incredible 44% from three-point range.
Congratulations to Garza as he continues to tack on individual honors to one impressively storied career.