For the second season in a row, Luka Garza is the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. The announcement was made by the conference Tuesday morning.

Garza becomes the first Hawkeye to earn the honor twice and the third player in the history of the league to win the award in consecutive seasons (Ohio State’s Jim Jackson, 1991-92; Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves, 1998-99). The award was introduced by the Big Ten in 1985.

The 6-foot-11 center from Washington, D.C., was also named a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the league’s media and head coaches for the second year in a row. Earlier Tuesday, Garza was also named the back-to-back winner of Sporting News’ National Player of the Year honor, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat since Michael Jordan.

Garza has led the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes to 20 victories this season, including wins in seven of their last eight. He leads the nation in total points (642), player efficiency rating (36.17), 30-point games (seven), and field goals made (240).

Garza averaged 21.9 points per game during the 20-game conference schedule, becoming the third player since 1990 to lead the league in scoring in consecutive seasons (Michigan State’s Steve Smith and Evan Turner of Ohio State). He is the first Hawkeye to average 20+ points per game in consecutive seasons (23.9 in 2020 and 23.8) since Sam Williams in 1967 (22.6) and 1968 (25.3). Garza also averaged 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on the season.

Garza broke the school’s 32-year old scoring record held by Roy Marble on Feb. 21. His 2,201 points rank 13th best in Big Ten history.

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said after the team’s victory over Wisconsin on Sunday that Garza’s No. 55 jersey will be retired.

Garza, the favorite for all the national player of the year honors, is at the center of awards season in men’s college basketball. But other Hawkeyes earned conference honors on Tuesday as well.

Junior guard Joe Wieskamp was a second-team all-conference honoree, Keegan Murray was selected to the five-player All-Freshman Team, while senior point guard Jordan Bohannon and redshirt sophomore guard CJ Fredrick earned honorable mention recognition.

Wieskamp ranks second on the team in points per game (15.0) and rebounds per contest (6.6). The Muscatine, Iowa, native leads all players in 3-point accuracy, making 49.5 percent of his attempts (51-of-103) in Big Ten play.

Murray, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native, is the eighth rookie to be recognized on the All-Freshman Team under Fran McCaffery and the fifth in five years. He is the team’s leading scorer (7.8 points per game) and rebounder (5.5) off the bench in conference play. Murray is second on the team in total steals (24) and ranks 11th overall in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game (1.1).

Bohannon, Iowa’s starting point guard, is the team’s all-time leader in assists and 3-pointers. Fredrick is among the conference’s best shooters and perimeter defenders when healthy.

Joining Garza on the first team, by both coaches and media, were Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn of Illinois. Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell and Trevion Williams of Purdue were also first-team selections by the coaches, while Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson and Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana earned first-team accolades by the media.

Both the media and coaches named Juwan Howard of Michigan as league’s Coach of the Year. The coaches selected Maryland’s Darryl Morsell as Defensive Player of the Year and both groups named Dickinson as Freshman of the Year.

Fifth-ranked Iowa (20-7 overall, 14-6 Big Ten) will open Big Ten Tournament play Friday in the quarterfinals. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.