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17 L uka Garza has had a historic junior season and his efforts were rewarded in being the fourth Hawkeye to be voted Big Ten Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Garza earned the conference's top honor March 9, something that had not been accomplished by a University of Iowa player since Sam Williams in 1968. "Being the first Hawkeye to win this award in 52 years means the world to me," said Garza. "It hasn't sunk in yet. You dream of moments like this. Without my family, my coaches, and my teammates, I would not be here. "is is the best league in the country. To win an award like this in a league like this, against the quality of big men top to bottom, makes this a real honor. I signed up to play in the Big Ten because I wanted to play against the best." Garza enters postseason play ranked second nationally with 12 20-point/10-rebound performances and 20-point games (25). He is fih in scoring (23.9), 10th in 30-point games (five), 19th in double-doubles (15), and 34th in rebounding (9.8). His 15 double-doubles are third- most in a season by a Hawkeye in three decades, and the most since Reggie Evans had 18 in 2002. Even more impressive is Garza's production against top competition. He averaged 26.7 points and 11.1 rebounds in 12 games against opponents ranked by e Associated Press. "It is rewarding to watch a young man work and grow the way he has, and to see the commitment he has to his teammates, the program, and to his family," said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. "Considering the quality of the opponent, not only in terms of the teams, but the individual players he was going against, to consistently perform at that level, it says a lot about his character. "We appreciate what he does, not only in games, but what he does every day in practice, in the weight room, and the offseason. ere is no better example for a young guy than to watch Luka Garza." e Washington, D.C., native finished the 20-game conference schedule averaging 26.2 points per game to become Iowa's first scoring leader in Big Ten games since Adam Haluska (21.3 points per game) in 2007. Garza is the first player to average at least 26 points in Big Ten play since Purdue's Glenn Robinson in 1994 (31.1). Garza is Iowa's single-season scoring record- holder with 740 points, breaking the program's 50-year old record by John Johnson in 1970. Garza has scored 20-or-more points in a school-record 16 straight Big Ten games, the longest streak by any player in the conference since Ohio State's Dennis Hopson's 16 in 1987. He is the fourth player nationally since 2007 to amass 700-plus points, 300-plus rebounds, 50-plsu blocks, and 35- plus 3-pointers in a season (Frank Kaminsky, 2015; Michael Beasley, 2008; Kevin Durant, 2007). "To be honest, if I wasn't in this program, I don't think any of this would be possible," Garza said.