By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Luka Garza is scoring points at a level, and at a pace, rarely seen from an Iowa men's basketball basketball player.

When John Johnson is all that stands between you having the greatest single-game scoring total in program history, that speaks volumes because Johnson was a scoring machine during his two seasons as a Hawkeye from 1968-70.

Garza leads the Big Ten and is 11th nationally in points per game (22.7) heading into Monday’s Big Ten home opener against Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

In Iowa’s last game, the 6-foot-11 junior center scored a career-high 44 points, which are the most points ever scored in a single-game by an Iowa big man, third most in program history, most points by an opposing player in Crisler Center history, only behind Rudy Tomjanovich’s 48 points versus Indiana in 1969, and the most points scored by a Hawkeye since guard John Johnson poured in a school-record 49 points against Northwestern in 1970.

Johnson also scored 46 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1968, and then after that, it’s Garza’s 44-point outburst.

The Big Ten Conference recognized Garza for his Megan Gustafson-like performance by naming him the conference's Player of the Week on Monday.

The fact that Garza is averaging more than 20 points per game also puts him in select company, considering Adam Haluska is the last Iowa men's basketball player to average at least 20 points per game throughout a season during the 2006-07 campaign.

"He is a guy that has a ton of different moves. We did a good job collectively of getting him the ball; we made a concerted effort to do so," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Garza, who is from Washington D.C. “He never stops moving, sprints hard, and posts hard, so he's a handful for any defender that tries to guard him.”  

Michigan took a chance by using just one defender on Garza, even after he had scored 27 points in the first half, because first-year head coach Juwan Howard was more concerned about containing Iowa’s perimeter shooters.

The strategy worked as the Wolverines prevailed 103-91 in a game in which both defenses left much to be desired.

But would that same strategy work for Minnesota on the road?

Probably not, because the 4-4 Gophers aren’t nearly as potent as Michigan is on offense.

Minnesota has some nice individual parts, including center Daniel Oturu, who averages 17.5 points per game. But so far it’s only produced mixed results, evident by Minnesota’s .500 record.

Garza scored his 1,000-point with a free throw against Michigan and he will be recognized at midcourt prior to Monday’s game against Minnesota.

Garza clearly had the advantage in his matchup against Michigan center Jon Teske, and now here comes another formidable challenge in the post in the 6-10 Oturu.

While few probably saw Garza scoring at his current pace, he’s had a knack for putting the ball in the basket since becoming a Hawkeye.

He averaged 12.1 points per game as a freshman and 13.1 points per game as a sophomore.

He also reached 20 or more points a team-best eight times last season, and that’s not easy to do under any circumstances, but especially when you’re sharing the ball with the likes of former forward Tyler Cook and point guard Jordan Bohannon.

Garza is shooting a blistering 55.9 percent from the field this season, and he excels by mixing a variety of post moves with a reliable 3-point shot.

Garza will have to carry an even bigger load on offense if Bohannon ultimately decides to redshirt this season, which seems very likely.

Bohannon, who is recovering from hip surgery, can play in two more games in the first semester without exhausting his eligibility for next season.

That means Thursday’s game at Iowa State will likely be Bohannon’s last for this season.

His absence could make it easier for opponents to defend Garza in the post. But one of the many things that makes Garza so difficult to defend is his shooting range. He doesn't have to be near the basket to score.

Just ask the Michigan players.

Iowa vs. Minnesota

When: Monday, 7:01 p.m.

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Records: Minnesota is 4-4 and 0-0 in the Big Ten. Iowa is 6-3 and 0-1.

Series: Minnesota holds a 106-95 advantage in the series. The 201 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent. The two teams have split the last 10 contests, dating back to 2013. The Gophers won last year’s lone contest, 92-87, in Minneapolis