Big Ten Basketball: Top 5 point guard-big man combos for 2019-20 season
No.4 Joe Wieskamp – Luka Garza, Iowa Hawkeyes
Luka Garza was a dominant Big Ten basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes. With him leading the way, they finished the season ranked 25th in the AP poll with a 20-11 (11-9 Big Ten) record.
His teammates knew that in order for the Hawkeyes to be successful, the offense had to run through him, and they did a great job of getting him the basketball to score whether it was in the paint, on a pick and roll or on the perimeter.
Wieskamp and Garza averaged the same amount of minutes per game (30) and took advantage of those minutes every game. Wieskamp averaged 14.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 2020 with four 20-point games and one 30-point game. Feeding the post was Iowa’s bread and butter. Wieskamp and Garza connected for points on that exchange many times throughout the season. Garza has the option to return as a senior. Wieskamp will step into a leadership role as an upperclassman as Jordan Bohannon’s time with the Hawkeyes has ended.
The Hawkeyes would be in a unique position if Garza comes back because Patrick McCaffery and Jack Nunge will hopefully be at full strength health-wise and they’ll have depth at key positions with the 2020 recruiting class. Wieskamp and Garza have the potential to take the team to another level in 2021 and build on the success they had in 2020. Check out my breakdown of their scoring connections.
Wieskamp gives the ball to Garza in the left post and he hop steps to create space and get the easy layup. The Hawkeyes beat the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars 87-60 behind Garza’s double-double (20 points,12 rebounds, two blocks). Wieskamp finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and steals apiece.
On this play, Garza draws three defenders in the post and recognizes that Wieskamp has space to shoot the three. Wieskamp knocks it down. The Hawkeyes cruised to victory against the Minnesota Golden Gophers 72-52. Garza and Wieskamp combined for 44 points and 16 rebounds. Garza’s counterpart, Daniel Oturu, recorded a double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks).
Wieskamp inbounds the ball on the baseline and causes a switch mismatch when driving to the paint. This allows Garza to get great post position and convert the layup. The Hawkeyes redeemed themselves with the 90-83 victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Garza had a game-high 33 points. C.J. Fredrick and Wieskamp had 20 points apiece.
Garza displays his court vision getting the ball in traffic to Wieskamp who cuts to the basket for the contact layup. Good eyes by Garza but even better off-ball movement by Wieskamp. The 18th ranked Hawkeyes beat 19th ranked Illinois 72-65 thanks to Garza’s 25 points and 10 rebounds. Fredrick and Wieskamp had 18 points apiece.