Cal Poly Basketball in Review – Karlis Garoza

Karlis Garoza – Freshman – 6’9″, 230 lbs

By the Numbers:

20 Games

12 Minutes per game

2.0 Points per game

2.8 Rebounds per game

0.6 Assists per game

41% Field Goals

63.5% Free Throws

Listed at 6’9″ and 230 pounds, many had very high hopes for Latvian freshman Karlis Garoza in 2017-18. During his first year in San Luis Obispo, it was hard to get a good read on what he can be on the court. While 6’9″ is a liberal estimate of his height, Garoza’s long arms and timely jumping allowed him to be effective in spurts against opposing centers. Garoza’s aggressive mentality and ability to mix it up physically and resist opponents defensively in the post was good at times early-on this season. 

An early-season upper-body injury and a knee injury midway through the season certainly hampered Garoza’s development. He missed several conference games and was clearly hobbled during the time he was on the floor during Cal Poly’s Big West Tournament loss. Garoza was scheduled for knee surgery after the season.

Looking forward

Assuming he comes back healthy from injury, Garoza is one of just two returning bigs currently on the Cal Poly roster. As things stand, Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero is likely to rely on Garoza for similar production next season to what the Mustangs got from Aleks Abrams in 2017-18. Abrams averaged nearly five rebounds per game while providing the best post defense on a team that was 349th out of 351 Division I teams in defending 2-point shots. If Cal Poly wants to get better in this area, improved post defense — especially in an increasingly physical Big West landscape — would be a good place to start.

*Ed note: Over the next few weeks, we’ll be recapping the season of every Cal Poly player who played in 2017-18.