IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday the four finalists vying for the honor of the 2021 Naismith Trophy, 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 prestigious 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 and Basketball Times. Garza, who is a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Wooden Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, Senior CLASS Award, and Lute Olson Award.
Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) has led the eighth-ranked Hawkeyes to 21 victories this season, including wins in eight of their last 10 contests. The Washington, D.C., native leads the nation in total points (687); player efficiency rating (35.84); 30-point games (7); field goals made (258); and 20-point games (19). Garza is seventh nationally in free throw makes (134) and attempts (188), and 10th in double-doubles (13).
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. His 2,246 points rank eighth-best in Big Ten history. In addition to ranking first in career scoring, Garza is tops at Iowa in conference scoring (1,399), total field goals made (847), field goal attempts (1,558), and 40-point games (2); second in rebounds (916) and 30-point games (12); fourth in double-doubles (34); fifth in blocked shots (153); sixth in free throw makes (439) and attempts (625); and 13th in 3-pointers made (113). He is the only men’s basketball player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,200 points and 900 rebounds.
The winner of the 2021 Naismith Trophy will be announced live on CBS Sports Network’s NCAA March Madness 360 studio show on April 3.
No. 2 seed Iowa (21-8) will open NCAA Tournament play on Saturday against 15th-seeded Grand Canyon (17-6). Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 5:25 p.m. (CT) at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.
