Iowa transfer guard Bennett Stirtz has had a busy few months. Before making the move to Iowa City, Stirtz began his career at Northwest Missouri State and then followed Head Coach Ben McCollum to Drake.
During his first season under McCollum at Northwest Missouri State (2022), Stirtz made an immediate impact. He played in all 34 games and started 27 of them.
He averaged 12.6 points per game on 60 percent shooting and was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's (MIAA) Freshman of the Year and earned All-MIAA Second Team honors.
Stirtz's numbers improved during his sophomore season (2023) as he averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He was once again named to the All-MIAA Second Team.
After his sophomore season, McCollum was hired as the next Drake Bulldogs head coach, and Stirtz followed him.
Stirtz had a breakout season in 2024-2025, and guided Drake to Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season and tournament titles, and the first NCAA Tournament win since 1971.
During the 2024-2025 regular season, Stirtz averaged19.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. After the regular season, he was named the 2024 MVC Newcomer and Player of Year.
Stirtz was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament after averaging 21.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
After losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, McCollum was hired as the next head coach for Iowa Men's Basketball, and Stirtz followed him once again.
After transferring to Iowa, Stirtz was named a top transfer by multiple media outlets and pundits, including Hall of Famer Dick Vitale.
Dick Vitale's men's college basketball transfer portal winners - via @ESPN App https://t.co/wTXd2Gd1uW
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) July 7, 2025
Vitale released his list of the top five transfer players and the top five teams that had the most successful transfer season. Stirtz made the list as Vitale's No. 5 transfer "PTPer."
Vitale called Stirtz a "PTPer," or primetime player, because he is a skilled combo guard with a "silky arc shot."
He also said that Stirtz has the talent and skill to adapt and excel in his first year with the Hawkeyes, and in McCollum's offense, he will "slice and dice Big Ten defenses like a Ginsu knife!"