Andy Katz Luka interview. "We're a Final 4 Team. We are a National Championship type team." Expect to see the Skyhook! Is the 42 Yr B1G Drought Over?
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
what did you think of Luka's answer when Andy tried to get a definite answer if he were returning for his senior season at Iowa?
My take is there is a question if everyone else is coming back 
yeah, that was kinda interesting. Luka is a like a good politician; he never quite answered the question. LOLMy take is there is a question if everyone else is coming back
He shouldn't answer that question definitively right now. As one of the two player of the year candidates in the country, he absolutely should get the free analysis from the NBA before making a decision. I'd love to have him back, but if he gets a first round grade he should go pro. A second round grade and he should really consider staying.
My "assumption" (ass out of u and me) is that he is talking about Joe W...I would think Joe W is coming back but maybe Luka wants to know for sure before finalizing his position.
I think Cordell (wild ass guess) could transfer, etc....but I can't imagine that would be a deal breaker for Luka. And I'm a guy that believes that Cordell could be a valuable team member next year.
Does a top 25, (11-9-four-way-tied-for) 5th place B1G, 6/7 seed really become “a final four/national championship type team” by getting a year older and adding JBo?
The more I think about it, the more unlikely it seems. Counting on most of our players to improve more than the players on other teams has always seemed flat out stupid to me. There’s no good reason to believe that will happen unless you believe our players have a better work ethic than the players in every other program or that they are receiving better coaching than the players in every other program. I don’t buy either of those things. To expect Garza to improve significantly on this year’s performance seems unrealistic.
Not a single one of our incoming recruits is expected to move the needle as an impact player.
What am I missing?
Experience matters for sure and we'll have a lot of it but will it be enough to actually make the kind of move everyone seems to be taking for granted?
I’m not so sure.
The more I think about it, the more unlikely it seems. Counting on most of our players to improve more than the players on other teams has always seemed flat out stupid to me. There’s no good reason to believe that will happen unless you believe our players have a better work ethic than the players in every other program or that they are receiving better coaching than the players in every other program. I don’t buy either of those things. To expect Garza to improve significantly on this year’s performance seems unrealistic.
Not a single one of our incoming recruits is expected to move the needle as an impact player.
What am I missing?
Experience matters for sure and we'll have a lot of it but will it be enough to actually make the kind of move everyone seems to be taking for granted?
I’m not so sure.
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You are also forgetting Nunge and Patrick. And yes, one year older in college means something. Senior dominated teams with excellent and experienced guard play go a long way in the tournament. Finally, Iowa with the lead late in any game will be even tougher to beat with Bohannon back. They were tough this year in that respect. Great free throw shooting means something too.
Joe W gets his groove back - top 8 (assuming CJF stays on the court (injuries)
Go on....
What am I forgetting about them? Are you claiming one or both will have a big impact? If so, why/how?
A lot of these prognostications of a final four and national championship seem to be based more on wishful thinking than actual real life data. Remember...just in the Big Ten... Wisconsin will bring back five seniors from a Big Ten Championship team. Rutgers will bring back 4 starters. If Michigan is healthy, they will be a much, much better team. Michigan State will be loaded again. Ohio State who tied us for 5th place will be very good. IU will be better. Illinois is bringing in two top 40 guards....
The point is... nobody stands still while we improve by leaps and bounds. It just doesn't happen that way.
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I don't think it's simply about what you're gaining, but also what you're not losing (and other teams are). Add the fact that 2 key contributors this year were Freshmen, yes you'd expect a fairly significant improvement from them.
Nunge was a starter and adding a 7fter with ability will never be a negative. What was the primary weakness of last year's team - rebounding. Having Nunge back will eliminate the need for Connor to be down low. He was also starting to hit that mid range jumper from the key right before he went down. Patrick is a wild card but if healthy, he is a talent. My guess is that at some point in the season he could have played but it was best to keep the redshirt on when things were going well. Tell me where I'm wrong?
You mean the way Joe W. improved from his freshman to sophomore year?
Point is.... life is not a line graph moving steadily up and to the right. The landscape changes from year to year surprises -- both positive and negative -- emerge where you'd least expect them (see e.g., Garza this year, Livers getting injured for Michigan etc.). It's just unrealistic to expect everything to break our way every year while forgetting about what other teams have and are bringing in.
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I don't know that anything you said is necessarily wrong. Nunge "never be a negative"(lol) is something entirely different than him being able to positively impact the team enough for a final four/national championship run. Right now, no one knows if Patrick will ever play in college.
Or you mean the way Luka improved from his sophomore to junior year? Or the way CJ improved? Or the way Connor improved? See I can play that game too. I just choose to look on the positive, and quite frankly, more typical side of things. College basketball is a very small sample in a player's career. One year is significant. When you say things fell their way. You mean all of the injuries they had to endure? CJ missing significant time during the season was a positive? And finally, you mentioned Joe's regression. Do you believe that was anomaly or do you expect him to have another sub par year? All that considered, I'll take my chances with that team.
I understand Joe struggled mightily late, but yes he did improve in both scoring and rebounding from his Freshman year.
CJ was a redshirt freshman. Improved? You lost me.
If you think Luka's improvement is "typical" I don't think you have a very firm grasp on reality. His story was one of the surprises of the entire college basketball season. That was a once in a decade type story. For iowa, a once in 50 years type story. Not typical.
Connor? Come on... Solid guard. Won't lose games for you. A feature, final four type player? Come on...
If you're being objective, it's hard to say what season was the anomaly with JW with a sample size of two seasons.
Final Four/National Championship talk? Not buying it yet. That's all.
Final Four/National Champions, no doubt in my mind. Lose very little, add most clutch player in team history and a bunch of options such as Nunge, Pmac and 5 talented frosh.
#1
#1
Final four team?, doubtful,... sweet sixteen?, perhaps,... will there even be a season?, maybe...
My random two cents: With today's transfer portal/one-and-done … many teams nowadays are rebuilding from scratch or putting a bunch of newcomers on the court. I think what favors Iowa is: We do have some very nice talent and (in my opinion) we have tremendous experience. Jbo, Weeze, CJ, etc., etc., + especially Luka … that is a nice problem to have. Iowa really has some nice players/depth on its roster … Factor in Nunge and PM … along with the frosh … really liking the look of this roster.
I appreciate college ball more than ever as any one of 20 teams could win the title. When a Virgina or Texas Tech compete/win the title, anything is possible. So yes, with the talent and depth (and with Luka) … this team can absolutely be considered in the conversation to make a deep tournament run …
It's both. We all of a sudden have several 3 point shooters available, when at times (while CJF was out) it was really only Joe W scoring from outside around Luka. How do you double against a lineup with Bohannon, CJF, and Wieskamp around Garza? You have to leave the other guy, and that should allow for either a free dive to the rim or if the others "help the helper" an open 3 from one of the aforementioned players.
Having Jordan take most of his minutes should decrease our turnovers even more. And odds are Joe Toussaint will also probably improve his A/T Ratio. We'll get more shots, and be an even more potent offensive team, and I find it hard to believe that free throw shooting won't improve giving everyone another year of practice.
Luka improved tremendously on defense from last year to this year, and I'd expect he'll get even better (and more star treatment). Joe T will likely either commit fewer fouls, or gather more steals (depending on whether he gets slightly less agressive and improves technique, or just continues to relentlessly hound the ball and go for steals).
I worry about our interior depth, but if our forwards stay healthy, we should have enough bodies (especially with the extra year for Connor and JW to prepare to cover spot minutes at the power forward spot).
The bolded part is one of the biggest benefits of getting JBo back. Having another elite three point shooter out there to surround Luka is massive.
Considering many on this Board thought CJ was a wasted scholarship - I think so. Where did I ever say "typical" for Luka? I was just pointing out that improvement does happen, and far more often than regression. As far as Connor, most any coach would love to have a guard that leads the nation in assist to turnover ratio. I get it, you think every guard has to be Allan Iverson. I tend to listen to the experts when they say Iowa will be a top 10 team nationally and a favorite to win the Big Ten. Getting to the Final Four takes a little luck. Iowa next year will be right there in the team picture to get there. You go ahead and wallow in pessimism and negativity.
First, if we have a season it will be a blessing in and of itself. If the virus were to impact the team all bets are off.
Second, Tom encouraged us slow our roll when the first talk of “next years team” was being bantered about, warning us that we should enjoy what we have. I suspect that may be coming from the fact he was expecting someone or more to leave.
Third, I agree that we have the potential to be better, but there will still be teams with better athletic talent. That doesn’t mean they will be better teams, but you can’t assume we outplay teams with superior talent in a one and done tournament.
Lastly, each year team chemistry changes as new guys enter the mix, especially when guys who have proven themselves start to lose minutes. There’s only one ball and a lot of guys deserve to have it. Final four talk hopefully motivates guys to work extra hard, but sometimes college kids get to be believers in all their hype.
Second, Tom encouraged us slow our roll when the first talk of “next years team” was being bantered about, warning us that we should enjoy what we have. I suspect that may be coming from the fact he was expecting someone or more to leave.
Third, I agree that we have the potential to be better, but there will still be teams with better athletic talent. That doesn’t mean they will be better teams, but you can’t assume we outplay teams with superior talent in a one and done tournament.
Lastly, each year team chemistry changes as new guys enter the mix, especially when guys who have proven themselves start to lose minutes. There’s only one ball and a lot of guys deserve to have it. Final four talk hopefully motivates guys to work extra hard, but sometimes college kids get to be believers in all their hype.
Think back to all the games where teams sagged off the point guard, stepped into driving lanes and doubled Luka, because they didn’t respect Connor or JT to shoot and make those shots. Now imagine them doing that to jbo. He will light them up, or they will have to guard him and open everyone else up. This team was good enough to make the final 4 this year with the right matchups and some luck. They could average 90ppg next year.
Just hope that students are welcomed back to campus all across the country. From what I have read, this is the key, first step. If you can't get kids back on campus roaming around/attending classes, then it's going to be hard to unlock sports facilities to athletes.
Once students are no longer locked out, then players likely will no longer be locked out, and there is light at the end of the tunnel as far as seeing mens basketball and college football.
Yeah I expect they will be having virtual classes all next year. I don’t see how you possibly welcome thousands of kids onto any campus until we have a vaccine that’s readily available. I expect the 2021 NFL season to be the next major sport to play, probably with extremely limited attendance.
its gonna be interesting because they expect a 2nd wave of the virus in the fall, just in time for fall semester classes and fall football.
Yeah I have zero hope of any football playing next fall and once you cancel that, college basketball will be right behind. Maybe the NBA finds a way to play with no fans but I don’t see how that’s logical either.
Nice story from ESPN:
Q&A: Iowa college basketball star and preseason All-American Luka Garza
Without the abnormal circumstances that 2020 has brought, Luka Garza might have heard his name called by Adam Silver alongside other established college standouts in the 2020 NBA draft. Instead of navigating the increased uncertainty of the draft process, the Iowa star returns as the face of college basketball entering the 2020-21 season -- the 6-foot-11 big man tops ESPN's first top 25 player ranking of the season and is the preseason front-runner for every reputable national player of the year award.
Garza (23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, 36% from the 3-point line last season) also aims to make history in Iowa City, where the Hawkeyes haven't won a Big Ten title (1979) or reached the Final Four (1980) in more than 40 years. The Hawkeyes are a top-10 team entering the season, and with America's best player back in the fold, every ambition seems possible for this group.
Garza recently spoke with ESPN.com about the upcoming season, his expectations for himself and his team, his excitement about the 2020-21 campaign and a few wrinkles he hopes to add to his game:
Myron Medcalf, ESPN: How has your team handled the preseason buzz, including entering the season with a top-10 ranking?
Luka Garza, Iowa: When I was a freshman, we were 14-19 and we made a change. It has been awesome to see our growth since then, but for us right now, I think our main focus is just trying to improve day to day and not worrying about the ranking. I think later in life that's going to mean something more. But right now, we're just focused on improving as much as we can every single day to reach our potential as a team. And that's all we can do, and whatever that is, it'll work itself out. Every day I'm trying to push these guys to work as hard as they can, and starting [this] week, we're going to do the same things when we get on the floor.
ESPN: When you're watching film on other players at the next level, who are the models for you? Whom do you hope to emulate?
Garza: There's a lot of guys. Obviously, this summer, watching the NBA a lot then and the fall, I think Nikola Jokic was one guy I really locked into and was watching a lot. Just his versatility on the offensive end, his ability to pass the ball, score from all three levels. Offensively, looking at Anthony Davis and his versatility on the offensive end and his ability to shoot the ball and handle it and all that stuff is really fun to watch, as well as when he plays in the post. I try to take some of his moves.
I think, really, for me, I look at so many different players. Obviously, Frank Kaminsky from his senior year at Wisconsin. I've always watched film on him and tried to replicate what he did there. And obviously, I'm a big time old hoops guy, so I'm always watching guys like Jack Sikma and [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] and different moves that I can add, especially with Kareem. I've been trying to work on the hook as much as I can this summer and this fall.
ESPN: Wait, are you saying that you're going to bring back the skyhook?
Garza: That would make my dad really happy. We've been working on it my whole life. It's kinda hard when you're getting double-teamed all the time. You don't really have the space to get it off. But I'm going to try to use it when I can, and it's such an effective move that if I can get it down, it really can help me.
ESPN: If you're a 40-year-old Iowa men's basketball fan -- or younger -- you've never seen a Big Ten title run or a Final Four appearance from the Hawkeyes. What would it mean to you and your team to end that drought?
Garza: It would mean the world to me and I know it would mean the world to all of our guys and the coaches and everybody in our community. I think we're really excited about this opportunity, and we know what it's going to take to be able to do that. We have a lot of experience on this team. We know what the Big Ten season is like and we know how consistent we're going to have to be. We know what we have to do. It's just about locking into those things, and hopefully we can get it done.
ESPN: You could do everything you did personally last season and still have a great season, but you've been working on your game. What will we see from Luka Garza during the 2020-21 season?
Garza: I think you'll see improvements on everything. I think I've been able to stretch my range a little bit further and I'll be able to shoot the ball with a little bit more consistency. I've definitely been working on my free throws, and hopefully, you'll see a much more improved me at the free throw line (Garza shot 65.1% from the line last season, down from 80.4% in 2018-19).
And also in the post, you'll see a variety of moves. Some of the ones you've seen before. You know, I've always added to my post game and I'm working on my fadeaway and different kinds of moves that are going to help me score. But you'll also see an improved passer out of the double-team, trying to find guys and pick apart defenses. You know you'll definitely see a guy who is still going to play as hard as he can and an improved guy on the defensive end, trying to block shots and help this team out as much as he can.
ESPN: You had the kind of season in 2019-20 that would have warranted a lot of awards had it not been for Obi Toppin's strong year. This year, people view you as the favorite to win every meaningful player of the year award. What is it like to be viewed that way after last year's disappointment?
Garza: It's an incredible feeling, and to be honest, it's a dream come true to be talked about in that way. But to be honest, my main focus going into this year is winning and it's why I came back. I came back to be a part of this team and see what we could do. So for me, if I don't get any of those awards and we win, that's all that's going to matter to me at the end of the day. But to be a guy who never dreamed of being in that conversation, and to be in that conversation two years in a row, is an incredible feeling. That's a lot of hard work that went into that. Like I said, winning is all that matters for me this year.
ESPN: You've talked about your emphasis on addressing the mental elements of the game with meditation and yoga. It seems as if this could be one of the more chaotic years in college basketball history. How important will it be for you and your Hawkeyes to be focused and disciplined?
Garza: It's critical for our team success that we're going to need to be a team that's really locked in, no matter what happens. I think coaches have tried to stress to us that we're just going to come in here, work as hard as we can every day, and when we have games, we're going to play them. We're going to play them to the best of our ability. And when games are canceled, we're going to work hard in practice. We can't let any of that affect us. We can't let it throw us off our rhythm or anything like that. That's just huge, so it's going to be a year where mental toughness and the ability to face adversity are going to be two of the qualities of the best team in the country. And I think our team has a lot of those qualities, and I think we're improving day to day to try to become one of those teams.
ESPN: Fill in the blank. If your team doesn't do "X," it won't reach its potential. What's the answer?
Garza: Defense. I think that's our biggest thing going into this year. That's what's going to make or break us. It's going to make us great or we're just going to be good. How good we can be on the defensive end is going to separate us from other teams. We already know going into this year that no one is going to be able to keep up with us offensively. But if we can get stops and we can really shut teams down, it's going to be hard for other teams to beat us.
We have so many weapons on the offensive end and we know our offense is always going to be there. When you have five, six, seven guys that at any time, they can score the ball and have confidence because they've scored the ball in the past, it's going to help us so much on that end. But on defense, that's what's going to make us who we are. Every single day we're working really hard and grinding and trying to improve on that end. Everyone is just focused on that because we know that's what it's going to take.
www.espn.com
Q&A: Iowa college basketball star and preseason All-American Luka Garza
- Myron Medcalf
- ESPN Staff Writer
- November 23, 2020
Without the abnormal circumstances that 2020 has brought, Luka Garza might have heard his name called by Adam Silver alongside other established college standouts in the 2020 NBA draft. Instead of navigating the increased uncertainty of the draft process, the Iowa star returns as the face of college basketball entering the 2020-21 season -- the 6-foot-11 big man tops ESPN's first top 25 player ranking of the season and is the preseason front-runner for every reputable national player of the year award.
Garza (23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, 36% from the 3-point line last season) also aims to make history in Iowa City, where the Hawkeyes haven't won a Big Ten title (1979) or reached the Final Four (1980) in more than 40 years. The Hawkeyes are a top-10 team entering the season, and with America's best player back in the fold, every ambition seems possible for this group.
Garza recently spoke with ESPN.com about the upcoming season, his expectations for himself and his team, his excitement about the 2020-21 campaign and a few wrinkles he hopes to add to his game:
Myron Medcalf, ESPN: How has your team handled the preseason buzz, including entering the season with a top-10 ranking?
Luka Garza, Iowa: When I was a freshman, we were 14-19 and we made a change. It has been awesome to see our growth since then, but for us right now, I think our main focus is just trying to improve day to day and not worrying about the ranking. I think later in life that's going to mean something more. But right now, we're just focused on improving as much as we can every single day to reach our potential as a team. And that's all we can do, and whatever that is, it'll work itself out. Every day I'm trying to push these guys to work as hard as they can, and starting [this] week, we're going to do the same things when we get on the floor.
ESPN: When you're watching film on other players at the next level, who are the models for you? Whom do you hope to emulate?
Garza: There's a lot of guys. Obviously, this summer, watching the NBA a lot then and the fall, I think Nikola Jokic was one guy I really locked into and was watching a lot. Just his versatility on the offensive end, his ability to pass the ball, score from all three levels. Offensively, looking at Anthony Davis and his versatility on the offensive end and his ability to shoot the ball and handle it and all that stuff is really fun to watch, as well as when he plays in the post. I try to take some of his moves.
I think, really, for me, I look at so many different players. Obviously, Frank Kaminsky from his senior year at Wisconsin. I've always watched film on him and tried to replicate what he did there. And obviously, I'm a big time old hoops guy, so I'm always watching guys like Jack Sikma and [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] and different moves that I can add, especially with Kareem. I've been trying to work on the hook as much as I can this summer and this fall.
ESPN: Wait, are you saying that you're going to bring back the skyhook?
Garza: That would make my dad really happy. We've been working on it my whole life. It's kinda hard when you're getting double-teamed all the time. You don't really have the space to get it off. But I'm going to try to use it when I can, and it's such an effective move that if I can get it down, it really can help me.
ESPN: If you're a 40-year-old Iowa men's basketball fan -- or younger -- you've never seen a Big Ten title run or a Final Four appearance from the Hawkeyes. What would it mean to you and your team to end that drought?
Garza: It would mean the world to me and I know it would mean the world to all of our guys and the coaches and everybody in our community. I think we're really excited about this opportunity, and we know what it's going to take to be able to do that. We have a lot of experience on this team. We know what the Big Ten season is like and we know how consistent we're going to have to be. We know what we have to do. It's just about locking into those things, and hopefully we can get it done.
ESPN: You could do everything you did personally last season and still have a great season, but you've been working on your game. What will we see from Luka Garza during the 2020-21 season?
Garza: I think you'll see improvements on everything. I think I've been able to stretch my range a little bit further and I'll be able to shoot the ball with a little bit more consistency. I've definitely been working on my free throws, and hopefully, you'll see a much more improved me at the free throw line (Garza shot 65.1% from the line last season, down from 80.4% in 2018-19).
And also in the post, you'll see a variety of moves. Some of the ones you've seen before. You know, I've always added to my post game and I'm working on my fadeaway and different kinds of moves that are going to help me score. But you'll also see an improved passer out of the double-team, trying to find guys and pick apart defenses. You know you'll definitely see a guy who is still going to play as hard as he can and an improved guy on the defensive end, trying to block shots and help this team out as much as he can.
ESPN: You had the kind of season in 2019-20 that would have warranted a lot of awards had it not been for Obi Toppin's strong year. This year, people view you as the favorite to win every meaningful player of the year award. What is it like to be viewed that way after last year's disappointment?
Garza: It's an incredible feeling, and to be honest, it's a dream come true to be talked about in that way. But to be honest, my main focus going into this year is winning and it's why I came back. I came back to be a part of this team and see what we could do. So for me, if I don't get any of those awards and we win, that's all that's going to matter to me at the end of the day. But to be a guy who never dreamed of being in that conversation, and to be in that conversation two years in a row, is an incredible feeling. That's a lot of hard work that went into that. Like I said, winning is all that matters for me this year.
ESPN: You've talked about your emphasis on addressing the mental elements of the game with meditation and yoga. It seems as if this could be one of the more chaotic years in college basketball history. How important will it be for you and your Hawkeyes to be focused and disciplined?
Garza: It's critical for our team success that we're going to need to be a team that's really locked in, no matter what happens. I think coaches have tried to stress to us that we're just going to come in here, work as hard as we can every day, and when we have games, we're going to play them. We're going to play them to the best of our ability. And when games are canceled, we're going to work hard in practice. We can't let any of that affect us. We can't let it throw us off our rhythm or anything like that. That's just huge, so it's going to be a year where mental toughness and the ability to face adversity are going to be two of the qualities of the best team in the country. And I think our team has a lot of those qualities, and I think we're improving day to day to try to become one of those teams.
ESPN: Fill in the blank. If your team doesn't do "X," it won't reach its potential. What's the answer?
Garza: Defense. I think that's our biggest thing going into this year. That's what's going to make or break us. It's going to make us great or we're just going to be good. How good we can be on the defensive end is going to separate us from other teams. We already know going into this year that no one is going to be able to keep up with us offensively. But if we can get stops and we can really shut teams down, it's going to be hard for other teams to beat us.
We have so many weapons on the offensive end and we know our offense is always going to be there. When you have five, six, seven guys that at any time, they can score the ball and have confidence because they've scored the ball in the past, it's going to help us so much on that end. But on defense, that's what's going to make us who we are. Every single day we're working really hard and grinding and trying to improve on that end. Everyone is just focused on that because we know that's what it's going to take.
Iowa's Luka Garza on 2020-21 goals: 'I think you'll see improvements on everything'
With the 2020-21 college basketball season set to tip off this week, Iowa preseason All-American Luka Garza spoke to ESPN about his team and personal objectives.
