Arizona Marvelous Ideas: Arizona adds Spanish post Marta Garcia to 2020 recruiting class

FIBA

Adia Barnes continues to search far and wide for the best talent.

The Arizona Wildcats have received a commitment from Spanish post Marta Garcia, who becomes the third member of Arizona’s 2020 class. The others are Turkish point guard Derin Erdogan and five-star post Lauren Ware from South Dakota.

Congratulations to 2020 Marta Garcia and her commitment to @ArizonaWBB! Huge addition for the squad and all that @AdiaBarnes is building! pic.twitter.com/8qV4rUJmbj
— GoGlobal Recruiting (@GoGlobal_LLC) January 9, 2020

The 6-foot-3 Garcia plays for Segle XXI Barcelona in Spain’s second-best league, the same club UA freshman Helena Pueyo starred for. Garcia is averaging 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 39 percent from the field and 56 percent from the free-throw line.

Garcia also has experience playing for the Spanish National Team. In the 2019 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship, she averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 15.6 minutes, shooting 46 percent from the field.

Barnes said Wednesday that she still hopes to add a transfer—possibly former Minnesota guard Destiny Pitts, who visited last weekend—and a grad transfer before next season.

“The problem is it’s slim pickings, and we’re all going after fifth-years,” Barnes said. “Because if you look at Louisville, Baylor, that’s what’s helped them win. You take a fifth-year, it just helps you win and gives you another guard or post or wherever you’re deficient in.”

Arizona is set to graduate starters Amari Carter and Dominique McBryde along with key reserve Lucia Alonso and Tee Tee Starks, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

Star guard Aari McDonald, a redshirt junior, could possibly test the WNBA Draft waters as well.

Assuming Garcia and Erdogan join the Wildcats as expected and there are no unexpected departures, they will become the sixth and seventh international players on the roster, the others being Pueyo (Spain), Tara Manumaleuga (Australia), Birna Benoysdottir (Iceland), Mara Mote (Latvia) and Sevval Gül (Turkey)