The Iowa Hawkeyes go as star guard Bennett Stirtz goes.
Stirtz generated a ton of NBA Draft buzz last season when he guided Drake to a 31-4 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and he has lived up to the hype this season.
Even though we are still in the early stages of the 2025-2026 season, Stirtz is leading the Hawkeyes in points (17.5), assists (5.2), and steals (1.8) per game as Iowa heads into the heart of the Big Ten Conference schedule.
Iowa wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a dominating 92-60 win over UMass Lowell as the Hawkeyes continue to blow out weaker teams.
After defeating UMass Lowell, the Hawkeyes went 11-1 against non-conference teams, with their only loss coming on December 11 to No. 4 Iowa State in Ames.
Stirtz paced the Hawkeyes once again in the Hawkeyes' final game of 2025, tallying 22 points and eight assists.
His eight assists pushed Stirtz into the 500 club for his career.
Mr. 500 🤝@bennett_stirtz x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/WLAulRB9Jd
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) December 30, 2025
Stirtz notched career assist No. 500 as he caps off his collegiate career this season with another milestone.
Stirtz has often stated this season is surreal because he never thought he would be a Division I basketball player after high school, and reaching the 500 mark in any statistical category is a rare achievement.
He reiterated those sentiments during a quick postgame chat with former Iowa legend Jess Settles after the win over UMass Lowell.
In a recent ESPN mock draft, Stirtz is projected to go No. 20 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he can continue his stellar run of play during the Big Ten Conference schedule, he will continue to climb up draft boards.