His team finished second place in the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, losing to Duke University.

As a senior in 2003, Gardner was named an Associated Press Second Team All-American after averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 assists per game.

For the season he averaged 13.7 points 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds on shooting 40.8% from the field 37.5% from three-point range and 82.9% from the line.

Gardner left Loyola to join Josh Pastner's staff at the University of Memphis in the summer of 2013.

[4] However, after just a year there, he accepted a player relations director at his alma mater, the University of Arizona.