Garza, Butler head AP All-america team

Iowa forward Luka Garza was the lone unanimous selection on the Associated Press preseason All-america team, one of many awards the talented big man has received prior to his senior season.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this year and coming back,” Garza said. “I felt like this was something I couldn’t turn down and not be a part of.”

Garza was joined on the team by Baylor senior Jared Butler, Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham and Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu. Seniors Corey Kispert of Gonzaga and Arizona State’s Remy Martin tied for the final spot.

Garza was one of college basketball’s dominant players as a junior, averaging 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor. He finished second to Dayton’s Obi Toppin in player of the year voting.

Butler, a 6-3 guard, had a strong freshman season in 201819 and was even better as a sophomore, averaging 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game to earn third-team AP All-america honors.

Baylor looked like a potential Final Four team a year ago before the pandemic canceled the season, and it could be in the mix again now that Butler is back after withdrawing from the NBA draft. The Bears were No. 2 in the AP preseason poll, highest in school history.

“Jared has shown tremendous growth in his first two seasons at Baylor, both on and off the court,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “He has always been a great teammate with an infectious personality and now that he’s an upperclassman, he’s taken on more of a leadership role.”