Luka Garza showed off his skills at the Nike Elite Top 100 Camp in St. Louis this past weekend. His strong play caught the attention of one of the other participant’s parents.

Fran McCaffery was unlike most of the other fathers in attendance. Iowa’s head coach was allowed into the event to watch his oldest son, Connor McCaffery, perform despite it being an NCAA recruiting dead period.

You take any advantage you can get in the cut-throat world of prospecting.

Fran McCaffery didn’t need to wait until the July evaluation period to measure Garza. He jumped in with a scholarship offer on Monday, perhaps beating the rush that could come next month for the talented big man from Washington, D.C.

"It was definitely a pleasant surprise. I am honored to have received an offer from Iowa. I had gotten a chance to play in front of Coach McCaffery in Atlanta while playing against his son in AAU and again this weekend," the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder said.

Connor McCaffery, a Class of 2017 prospect like Garza, committed to the Hawkeyes last summer.

"It’s an amazing program in a great league," Garza said. "Coach McCaffery is a legendary coach that understands the game. Iowa has had tremendous success in the past and it is a privilege to be recruited by a program like Iowa. I would like to learn more about the university, so I’m planning on visiting."

Garza, who attends the Maret School in D.C., said he’ll likely visit Iowa City in the fall. He feels good about what Fran McCaffery told him on Monday.

"He said he likes my skill set and physicality. He likes the fact, that as a center, I have the ability to shoot threes and use both shoulders in the post," Garza said.

Garza also reports offers from George Washington and Binghamton. He said Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Stanford, St. Joe’s and others are showing interest.

"I previously had an offer from DePaul before the change in the coaching staff," he said.

Garza said he is going to take his time with the recruiting process. He’s hoping a successful July will open more doors.