Luka Garza arrived at Maret a slight 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds. While the freshman wasn’t yet a presence in the low block, he found a way to contribute for the Frogs from the start.
“I was too skinny to do much, but I could always shoot,” said the senior, who is now 6-foot-11 and 240-pounds.
“I had a leadership role at Maret. Every game I had to perform at a high level in order for us to win,” Garza said. “That was big for my development. It made me understand how to deal with that pressure and build a relationship with teammates. I’m definitely going to take that with me to college.”
Garza averaged 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.1 assists this past season to lead No. 17 Maret (26-5) to the championship game of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference and the D.C. State Athletic Association playoffs.
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In his final game for the Frogs, Garza posted 37 points and 17 rebounds in a 77-66 loss to Gonzaga in the DCSAA final. He is the first Maret player to win the award and leaves as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,993 points.
“I definitely feel like we left a couple of titles on the table,” Garza said. “But I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish at Maret over these past four years.”
While his high school basketball career is over, he’s busy bulking up in preparation for the Big Ten. After graduating from Maret on June 12, Garza will fly to Iowa City that night to start classes.
NUMBER CRUNCH: 4
Seniors from the Wise boys’ basketball team considering college options in the wake of finishing at No. 2 in The Post’s final boys’ basketball rankings for the 2016-17 season.
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WATCH TO WATCH FOR
The All-Met photo shoot is today, and while the full teams will not be published online until Friday, April 7, follow us on twitter @allmetsports for a sneak peak at the area’s best athletes from the winter.
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