Davis, Baird Break Down Garza's Tendencies, Explain Why He's So Effective
The main storyline heading into the Michigan Wolverines’ basketball game tomorrow night at Iowa is how they plan on stopping Hawkeye junior center Luka Garza.
He torched the Maize and Blue for 44 points the first time the two teams met on Dec. 6, which were the most points any visiting player had ever scored at Crisler Center.
In Michigan’s defense, nobody has really been able to slow Garza down this season, with the 6-11, 260-pound big man averaging 22.3 points per game and 10.4 boards.
His 22.3 points lead the Big Ten and are the sixth most in the nation, while his 10.4 rebounds check in second in the league.
“He’s a very crafted, experienced big who is good around the rim and is a tough player,” redshirt junior center Austin Davis explained this afternoon, discussing his impressions of the Hawkeye from the first time around.
“He also works extremely hard, and we need to do a better job of challenging him right from the start and being ready from the get-go.
“That means not letting him get comfortable. We need to do a better job of thinking about his tendencies and which way he wants to go, and then move our feet to stay in front of him and make him go to his secondary moves.
“Garza is very good at reading defenders though. We’ll see most people throughout the year more than once, so seeing them again gives you a sense of familiarity.”
The first meeting between the two clubs resulted in a 103-91 Michigan victory, though the offensive efficiency likely won’t come as easy at a Carver-Hawkeye Arena that has been a house of horrors for U-M in recent years.
The Wolverines are 1-5 in their last six trips to Iowa City (dating back to 2012), and will be facing a Hawkeye squad that has won six of its last eight games overall.
Though easier said than done, Michigan should nevertheless be in position to win if it contains Garza.
“It’s a lot more than just the one-on-one defense,” junior forward C.J. Baird insisted this afternoon. “There’s emphasis on putting pressure on the ball handlers when they’re trying to get it in to him, and also making him think about dribbling or picking it up when he has the ball.
“He gets very deep position in the post and can score an easy layup, so you want to get big men out of their rhythm by stabbing at the ball.
“We don’t want him to get going at home early, and that’s one of our main emphasis. He’s the sixth leading scorer in the country and does a great job of getting positioning.
“Garza seals men up and gets easy layups, and has a really good court awareness. He also stops a lot in the paint and gets early position.
“He uses his body as well as anybody; he’s not a super athlete like [Minnesota sophomore center] Daniel Oturu, but he gets the ball in the place he wants and commands it, whether it be on the block or under the rim.
“It’s very underrated in basketball; a lot of people can get away with athleticism and make a play that’s showy, but he does all the little things right to average 22 points per game.”
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