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Bennett Stirtz
2025–26 Iowa season averages
Draft Outlook
Stirtz forced his way into the first-round conversation because the production kept scaling. He dominated Division II, moved up and kept producing, then brought that same offensive control to the Big Ten at Iowa. That kind of climb gets attention because it is hard to fake.
He gives teams a different archetype from the freshman-heavy top of the class: an older point guard with pace, poise, and a real chance to help a second unit early. The question is not whether he can play. It is how high the ceiling really goes.
Biography and Background
Stirtz is from Liberty, Missouri and took a different path from most first-round guard candidates. He built his case through steady production, first at Northwest Missouri State, then at Drake, and finally at Iowa.
That climb is closely tied to coach Ben McCollum, but the bigger point is simple: Stirtz has been productive everywhere he has gone, and that is why teams take him seriously now.
College Career and Production
Stirtz arrived at Iowa after a huge year at Drake, then backed it up in the Big Ten. He averaged 20.0 points and 4.5 assists while staying efficient and looking comfortable as Iowa’s offensive engine.
The awards matched the tape. He earned All-Big Ten and All-America recognition, and the jump from mid-major star to power-conference lead guard no longer looks like a fluke.
Strengths
Stirtz’s best trait is control. He changes pace well, keeps the dribble alive, and reads coverages like an experienced guard. That is what lets him organize an offense without looking rushed.
The jumper and passing are the rest of the case. He can hurt teams off pull-ups, score from the line, and make the next pass quickly enough to keep the offense balanced.
Concerns and Development Areas
The main concern is physical upside. Stirtz is older than the freshman guards at the top and does not have the kind of burst or size that erases mistakes.
Teams will also ask how the role scales. At Iowa he had the ball a lot. In the NBA he will probably need to prove he can keep the same value in a smaller role.
2026 NCAA Tournament
Stirtz gave Iowa a steady March. He helped close the first-round win over Clemson, then made one of the biggest plays of the second round when Iowa stunned Florida and he delivered the pass that set up the game-winner.
Iowa kept rolling to the Sweet 16 before Illinois ended the run in the Elite Eight. Even in that loss, Stirtz still scored 24 and looked like the same thing he had looked like all year: the engine of Iowa’s offense.
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By: Oren Fugon
Last updated: May 14, 2026
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