ESPN tabs Iowa basketball star as 2026 NBA draft 1st-round prospect
Iowa basketball has been busy in the transfer portal, adding six transfers to the program this offseason.
The Hawkeyes made waves early during the transfer portal cycle, bringing in arguably the top player in former Drake point guard Bennett Stirtz.
The 6-foot-4 guard chose to follow first-year head coach Ben McCollum to Iowa. Stirtz's arrival brought immediate star power to the black and gold.
The Liberty, Missouri, native was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year last season after averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on 49.8% field goal shooting, 39.5% 3-point accuracy and 79.4% from the free throw line. Stirtz was named a first-team All-American by The Field of 68.
ESPN thinks Iowa is welcoming a superstar. ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony chose Stirtz as his prospect that could be a 2026 NBA draft first-rounder after opting to return to college.
Bennett Stirtz, a 6-foot-4 point guard who played for Drake last season, was one of the breakout stars of the NCAA tournament, posting 42 points and 12 assists in two strong performances against Missouri and Texas, showing his game more than translates against elite-level competition after a dominant season in the Horizon League. Stirtz was ranked No. 35 in the ESPN Top 100 when he announced he would enter the transfer portal and follow his coach, Ben McCollum, from Drake to Iowa, not even bothering to test the NBA draft waters along the way.
NBA scouts won't complain about having a full season to evaluate Stirtz in the Big Ten, where they'll get a better feel for how his impressive ballhandling, ability to change speeds, touch and creativity finishing around the basket translate for a full season. Stirtz is a dynamic perimeter shooter who is one of the best passers and decision-makers in college basketball but getting a better gauge for his defense and how he handles coaches planning against him on a nightly basis will surely shed light on how high he should be selected next June. - Jonathan Givony, ESPN.
If Stirtz replicates what he accomplished at Drake in the Big Ten, then he very well could see his name rocketing up 2026 NBA draft boards.
For the Hawkeyes, Stirtz's familiarity with coach McCollum's system and his proven star power will pay dividends for a program transitioning into a new era.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Wisconsin football 2025 opponent, top Big Ten foe names starting quarterback
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day named true sophomore Julian Sayin his team's starting quarterback for the 2025 season on Monday. The 6-foot-1 pass-thrower, who is entering his second season as a member of the Buckeyes, will inherit the No. 1 quarterback responsibilities after former starter Will Howard left for the NFL after last season. The Carlsbad, California, native beat out redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz and true freshman Tavien St. Clair for the job. Ohio State becomes the second Wisconsin football opponent to name a first-year starter at quarterback entering the season, joining Alabama (Ty Simpson). Luke Fickell's group will square off against Alabama on Sept. 14, roughly one month before their Oct. 18 clash against the Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. As the reigning national champions, Ohio State enters the 2025 campaign with the No. 3 position in the AP Poll. With Howard at the helm this past season, OSU won 14 games and defeated Tennessee, Oregon and Texas en route to its College Football Playoff title game triumph over Notre Dame on Jan. 20. Sayin, 247Sports' No. 1-ranked quarterback in the class of 2024, will now look to build off the momentum and lead one of college football's most prestigious programs in his first year as its starter. Sayin appeared in four games for the Buckeyes last season, including a 61-yard, one-touchdown performance against Western Michigan on Sept. 7. He originally transferred to the program from Alabama after Nick Saban's retirement in January 2024. While the output vs. the Broncos provided glimpses of terrific play, Sayin's 2024 reps were limited. He just played 27 total snaps on offense and accumulated 84 total passing yards, while Howard, the full-time starter, totaled 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air. Fortunately for Sayin, the Buckeyes' offense does not lack talent. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, fresh off a stellar freshman season, is widely considered the best pass-catcher in college football. He, alongside junior Carnell Tate Jr. and Brandon Inniss, creates one of the more threatening wide receiver trios across the country. Sayin will look to impress for the Buckeyes in the program's third road tilt of the year on Oct. 18 in Madison. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Joel Klatt releases his CFP bracket and sees Notre Dame making an early exit
Many experts across the country at taking their best guesses as to how the 2025 college football season will play out, and on Monday Joel Klatt released his College Football Playoff bracket, and it didn't look great for Notre Dame. While he does have the Irish in the field, as the No. 7 seeded team and playing No. 10 LSU, Klatt only has Notre Dame getting past the Brian Kelly led Tigers before bowing out to No. 2 Texas. This would be a very tough draw for the Irish, but extracting revenge on their former coach would help ease the pain of an early exit from the CFP. Klatt has Penn State as his top overall seed, followed by the Longhorns, Clemson and Ohio State. Notre Dame is eligible for a first-round bye, but he doesn't see them getting on. He picks the Irish's future long-standing rival Tigers as the winner defeating the Buckeyes who he predicts will come up just short of repeating. Hopefully, Notre Dame can get a higher seed than Klatt predicts, as it would make a run easier to the title game, but as we saw last year, if the Irish get hot, their opponent won't matter. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Alabama top recruit, transfer named starting quarterback at Big Ten program
According to multiple reports, the Ohio State Buckeyes have named a former Alabama Crimson Tide transfer as the program's starting quarterback entering the 2025 season. That player is Julian Sayin, a now sophomore who takes over as the starting quarterback for the defending national champion Buckeyes entering their highly anticipated Week 1 showdown with Texas. A member of Alabama's 2024 recruiting class, Sayin originally began his collegiate career in Tuscaloosa, joining the program as a five-star recruit who was considered the nation's No. 6 overall player, as well as top quarterback, that cycle, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Coming out of Carlsbad High School in California, Sayin, who had been committed to the Crimson Tide since Nov. 2022, was an early enrollee at Alabama in Jan. 2024, but went on to enter the transfer portal shortly after following the retirement of former head coach Nick Saban. Sayin would go on to commit to Ohio State days after. Last season, Sayin was a backup for Ohio State on their way to winning a national championship, completing 41.7% of passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 24 yards on two attempts. Sayin is the second former Alabama transfer quarterback to recently be named a starter, joining Boston College's Dylan Lonergan. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
