Iowa's star guard Bennett Stirtz has not been himself through Iowa's first two wins in the NCAA Tournament.
A year after earning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament MVP with the Drake Bulldogs, Stirtz is struggling with his shot.
He went 4-17 shooting, including 3-10 from three-point range in Iowa's win over Clemson in round one, and did not shoot any better in the upset win over Florida.
Even though he's going through a shooting slump, that isn't going to stop Stirtz from getting his shots up.
Stirtz is 'going to keep shooting it'
Iowa's total team performance guided them to a victory over Florida in the Round of 32, but Stirtz's shot was still off.
He ended the game shooting 5-16 from the field and 0-9 from three-point range, but that hasn't shaken his confidence.
Bennett Stirtz on his 5-16 (0-9 from three) shooting performance in the round of 32 against Florida, and how he can move on:
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) March 25, 2026
“Keep shooting it. That’s just the type of player I am. If I’m 0-for-20 I’m gonna keep shooting it. That’s the confidence I have in myself and Coach Mac… pic.twitter.com/Vc1uGTBY5R
When asked about moving past his shooting woes, Stirtz said that he's going to "keep shooting it."
He has confidence in himself to break out of the slump and knows Ben McCollum has confidence in him as well.
He finished by claiming that he isn't too worried about it.
Iowa's next game is against rival Nebraska in the Sweet 16, and Nebraska excels in pick-and-roll defense, which the Hawkeyes run a lot on offense.
Luckily for the Hawkeyes, other players, including Tavion Banks and Kael Combs, have picked the squad up on the offensive end. If Stirtz struggles again, it will need to be another full team effort.
The Hawkeyes must take care of the basketball after failing to do so in the first two matchups against the Cornhuskers, and Stirtz needs to find his shooting touch for Iowa to survive and advance.