Iowa 'got something special' in Luka Garza

IOWA CITY — Wednesday marked the first day in college basketball's early signing period, and the Iowa men's basketball team got things kicked off in a big way with their big man.

As the Hawkeyes prepare for their first regular-season game Friday against Kennesaw State, they also officially welcomed the marquee member of the 2017 recruiting class, and a key component for the future. Six-foot-11, 250-pound Luka Garza officially signed his letter of intent, and Coach Fran McCaffery finally got to gush about the versatile post player.

McCaffery said Garza's game has transformed from the first time he saw the Maret School (Washington, D.C.) senior to now, with changes to his body that have made him quicker, more mobile and more able to use his length.

'I saw him two years ago now and fell in love with his game,' McCaffery said. 'He's a rare combination of a guy with a really good low-post game who can stretch the floor and make 3s and who understands how to compete on every possession, and that's a rare combination when you get a guy who is 6-10 and a 7-3 wing span and can stretch the floor and play smash mouth inside. Up-and-unders and jump hooks, and those kinds of moves, you don't see a lot of that anymore. He's effective.

'So you put all that together, you've got something special.'

Garza represents a type of player Iowa doesn't have right now.

After losing 7-foot center Adam Woodbury to graduation, the Hawkeyes' have Tyler Cook, Ryan Kriener and Dom Uhl at 6-foot-9 as their biggest frontcourt players. Those players certainly aren't peanuts, but size can't be taught, and Garza's will add a vital dimension to what Iowa hopes to do next year and beyond.