In a highly-anticipated move, Drake Bulldogs Men's Basketball star guard Bennett Stirtz will transfer to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Stirtz will transfer to Iowa to follow Head Coach Ben McCollum after he was hired on Monday.
This will be the second time Stirtz has followed McCollum after McCollum took a new job. Stirtz played for McCollum at Northwest Missouri State before transferring to Drake when McCollum took the head coaching position at Drake.
The Hawkeyes' roster has been decimated by transfers and recruits decommitting from Iowa after Coach Fran McCaffery was fired. Stirtz gives Iowa a star player who McCollum can build around.
BREAKING: Drake star Bennett Stirtz tells @TheFieldOf68 that he will be entering the transfer portal. …
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 25, 2025
And following Ben McCollum to Iowa.
HUGE news for the Hawkeyes.
Stirtz informed the Des Moines Register he wants to gauge the NBA's interest, but he plans to maintain eligibility with the intent to play for the Hawkeyes.
Stirtz began his college career at Northwest Missouri State under Coach Ben McCollum. Stirtz played in all 34 games and had 27 starts as a freshman.
Stirtz averaged 12.6 points per game and shot 60 percent from the field en route to winning the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Freshman of the Year Award and was named All-MIAA Second Team in 2022.
In his sophomore season, Stirtz averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He was named an All-MIAA Second Team selection after the season.
Ben McCollum left Northwest Missouri State for the Drake Bulldogs before the 2024 season, and Stirtz followed him. Stirtz had his best statistical season, averaging a team-leading 19.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Stirtz was named the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and the MVC Newcomer of the Year in 2024. He was also named the MVC Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
Stirtz is one of the best passing and shooting guards in the country. He excels in the pick-and-roll, but can also make three-point baskets at a high rate.
Stirtz is always near the top of the rankings in assist-to-turnover ratio and excels at getting his teammates involved.
The transfer portal recently opened, but Stirtz will be one of the highest-rated transfers in the portal. The Hawkeyes and new head coach Ben McCollum are getting a superstar and will be lucky to have Stirtz for the 2025 season.