Latest news with #BennettStirtz
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN tabs Iowa basketball star as 2026 NBA draft 1st-round prospect
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
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa basketball inside initial 2025-26 ESPN bracketology projection
Iowa isn't done building its finalized roster for the 2025-26 men's college basketball season. But, ESPN has seen enough from first-year head coach Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes' current additions to the roster to place Iowa within its initial bracketology. Iowa returns forward Cooper Koch and added Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu, Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras. Advertisement Stirtz was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on 49.8% field goal shooting and 39.5% 3-point shooting. Folgueiras was the Horizon League Player of the Year after posting averages of 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 54.8% field goal shooting and 41.3% from beyond the arc. Here's a look at ESPN's initial bracketology projection for the Hawkeyes. Iowa basketball initial ESPN bracketology projection Mar 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum hugs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) after defeating the Bradley Braves to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Seed: No. 9 in the West Opponent: No. 8 Vanderbilt Iowa earns the No. 9 seed in the West Region and is slated to face No. 8 seed Vanderbilt. First- and second-round games would be played in Oklahoma City from inside the Paycom Center with the regional semifinals and regional final taking place in San Jose. Full West region Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) walks off the court after losing to the Florida Gators in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Southeast Missouri State Advertisement No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 9 Iowa No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Yale No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Charleston No. 6 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 VCU No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 McNeese No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Miami No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Youngstown State No. 1 seeds St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino during the team introductions Thursday at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, NCAA Tournament. 3/20/25 No. 1 seeds: Purdue, St. John's, Houston, Duke Conference bids breakdown The Big Ten logo dominates a lightly trafficked Monument Square in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday after the conference announced it was pulling the plug on the men's basketball tournament over coronavirus concerns. Bigten Jpg SEC: 13 Big Ten: 12 Big 12: 8 ACC: 5 Big East: 4 Big Ten teams in the field of 68 Iowa's new head men's basketball coach Ben McCollum walks into his introductory press conference with his family, President Barbara Wilson and Athletic Director Beth Goetz Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. No. 1 Purdue (top overall seed) No. 2 Michigan No. 4 UCLA No. 4 USC No. 4 Michigan State No. 5 Ohio State No. 6 Wisconsin No. 7 Illinois No. 8 Oregon No. 9 Iowa No. 10 Maryland No. 10 Indiana 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 This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball inside initial 2025-26 ESPN bracketology projection
NBC Sports
21-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Drake vs. Texas Tech Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats for 2025 March Madness Round 2
The Drake Bulldogs (31-3), seeded 11th in the West Region, will face the 3rd-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-8) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Wichita, KS. Drake opened the tournament with a 67-57 victory over Missouri. The Bulldogs' defense gave up just 23 points to the Tigers in the first half. Bennett Stirtz, MVP of the Missouri Valley Conference, topped Drake with 21 points while playing all 40 minutes. The junior leads the nation in minutes played per game averaging 39.4 per contest. Texas Tech secured a win in Round 1, 82-72, against UNC Wilmington. The Red Raiders attempted 46 threes in the game. Kerwin Walton was 8 for 19 from deep but the rest of the Red Raiders were just 5-27 from beyond the arc. The winner of this game earns an invite to the Sweet 16 where they will meet the winner of the Arkansas vs. St. John's game. Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Game details & how to watch Drake vs. Texas Tech Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025 Time: 6:10PM EST Site: INTRUST Bank Arena City: Wichita, KS Network/Streaming: TNT Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates. Game odds for Drake vs. Texas Tech The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of BetMGM: Odds: Drake Bulldogs (+260), Texas Tech Red Raiders (-325) Spread: Red Raiders -7.5 Total: 126.5 points Expert picks & predictions for Drake vs. Texas Tech Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday's Bulldogs & Red Raiders game: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Drake +7.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 126.5. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Drake vs. Texas Tech: Top betting trends and recent stats Drake has won 8 in a row and 19 of their last 20 Drake is 12-8 in their last 20 against the spread (15-13 for the season) The UNDER has cashed in Drake's last 4 games Texas Tech has failed to cover the spread in their last 3 and 4 of their last 5 games (17-14 ATS for the season) The OVER has cashed in 5 of Texas Tech's last 6 games If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: · Jay Croucher (@croucherJD · Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) · Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) · Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bennett Stirtz, 11-seed Drake hang on to upset Missouri for first NCAA tournament win in 54 years
Drake's defense is for real. The Bulldogs just shut down a team that, at least at times, held its own in the brutally tough SEC, to pick up their first NCAA tournament win in more than 50 years. No. 11 Drake pulled off a 67-57 upset over No. 6 Missouri at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday afternoon. Even though Drake has been in four of the last five NCAA tournaments, it marked the program's first win in the event since 1971. The Bulldogs will now take on either No. 3 Texas Tech in the second round. [You could win $25K in the Women's Bracket Mayhem contest. Enter now!] Drake held Missouri to just 23 points in the first half, which is a season-low for the Tigers, while living up to its title as the best defensive team in the country. The Bulldogs allowed just seven made field goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, and they went on a nearly seven-minute stretch where they held Missouri to just two layups while surging ahead to a brief double-digit lead. Bennett Stirtz, who led the MVC in scoring and was the conference's Player of the Year, nearly matched Missouri on his own. He had 14 points and shot 5-of-8 from the field in the first 20 minutes. Both he and the entire Missouri team hit two 3-pointers a piece in the first half. The break didn't help the Tigers any, either. Drake held them without a field goal for almost eight minutes to open the second half, which allowed the Bulldogs to go on a 13-5 run and break open a 15-point lead. Jjust a few minutes later, after the Tigers found a bit of their offense again, Stirtz drilled a truly ridiculous dagger off of a single foot to keep them at bay. A straightaway three off one leg. Bennett Stirtz remains PERFECT from deep @DrakeBulldogsMB — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2025 The Tigers finally rallied, and pulled off a 10-0 run of their own that largely came from the free-throw line, closing the gap to one point in the closing minutes. But that was as close as they'd get. The Bulldogs hung on down the stretch, and responded with a 6-0 burst of their own, to grab the 10-point win. Caleb Grill led the Tigers with 14 points in the loss, and he shot just 1-of-7 from behind the arc. Tamar Bates was the only other Tigers player to hit double figures, with 10. They shot just 4-of-16 from the 3-point line as a team. Though it had some solid wins early on, Missouri largely fell apart to close out the year. The Tigers lost six of their last eight games, four of which were against unranked opponents. Stirtz finished with 21 points to lead Drake while shooting 8-of-11 from the field. Tavion Banks added 15 points off the bench. They shot better than 54% from the field as a team, but struggled at the line while going 12-of-24 from the stripe. The Bulldogs had the best scoring defense in the country this season, and allowed just 58.4 points per game all year. They play slow, too; they had over 100 possessions more than any other team in the country where the shot clock went below five seconds. The Tigers, on the other hand, were top 10 in scoring with more than 84 points per game while battling through the best conference in the sport. While Ben McCollum may not be around in Des Moines for much longer — the first-year head coach has been linked to several open jobs, including one not even 120 miles to the east — and it isn't the most exciting brand of basketball out there, he's certainly making the most of the Bulldogs' latest trip to the NCAA tournament. We'll see how far this style can carry them.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness 2025: Bennett Stirtz, Drake hang on to upset Missouri for first NCAA tournament win in 54 years
Drake's defense is for real. The Bulldogs just shut down a team that, at least at times, held its own in the brutally tough SEC, to pick up their first NCAA tournament win in more than 50 years. No. 11 Drake pulled off a 67-57 upset over No. 6 Missouri at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday afternoon. Even though Drake has been in four of the last five NCAA tournaments, it marked the program's first win in the event since 1971. The Bulldogs will now take on either No. 3 Texas Tech or No. 14 UNC Wilmington in the second round. [You could win $25K in the Women's Bracket Mayhem contest. Enter now!] Drake held Missouri to just 23 points in the first half, which is a season-low for the Tigers, while living up to its title as the best defensive team in the country. The Bulldogs allowed just seven made field goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, and they went on a nearly seven-minute stretch where they held Missouri to just two layups while surging ahead to a brief double-digit lead. Bennett Stirtz, who led the MVC in scoring and was the conference's Player of the Year, nearly matched Missouri on his own. He had 14 points and shot 5-of-8 from the field in the first 20 minutes. Both he and the entire Missouri team hit two 3-pointers a piece in the first half. The break didn't help the Tigers any, either. Drake held them without a field goal for almost eight minutes to open the second half, which allowed the Bulldogs to go on a 13-5 run and break open a 15-point lead. Jjust a few minutes later, after the Tigers found a bit of their offense again, Stirtz drilled a truly ridiculous dagger off of a single foot to keep them at bay. A straightaway three off one leg. Bennett Stirtz remains PERFECT from deep @DrakeBulldogsMB — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2025 The Tigers finally rallied, and pulled off a 10-0 run of their own that largely came from the free-throw line, closing the gap to one point in the closing minutes. But that was as close as they'd get. The Bulldogs hung on down the stretch, and responded with a 6-0 burst of their own, to grab the 10-point win. Caleb Grill led the Tigers with 14 points in the loss, and he shot just 1-of-7 from behind the arc. Tamar Bates was the only other Tigers player to hit double figures, with 10. They shot just 4-of-16 from the 3-point line as a team. Though it had some solid wins early on, Missouri largely fell apart to close out the year. The Tigers lost six of their last eight games, four of which were against unranked opponents. Stirtz finished with 21 points to lead Drake while shooting 8-of-11 from the field. Tavion Banks added 15 points off the bench. They shot better than 54% from the field as a team, but struggled at the line while going 12-of-24 from the stripe. The Bulldogs had the best scoring defense in the country this season, and allowed just 58.4 points per game all year. They play slow, too; they had over 100 possessions more than any other team in the country where the shot clock went below five seconds. The Tigers, on the other hand, were top 10 in scoring with more than 84 points per game while battling through the best conference in the sport. While Ben McCollum may not be around in Des Moines for much longer — the first-year head coach has been linked to several open jobs, including one not even 120 miles to the east — and it isn't the most exciting brand of basketball out there, he's certainly making the most of the Bulldogs' latest trip to the NCAA tournament. We'll see how far this style can carry them.
