Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz Stuns Critics with All-Big Ten Preseason Nod—Can He Lead the Team to Glory?

The energy around the Iowa men’s basketball team is palpable as we head into the 2025-26 season. With Ben McCollum stepping in as the new head coach, a fresh wave of enthusiasm is sweeping through Hawkeye Nation — and for good reason. McCollum hasn’t just tinkered at the edges; he’s reimagined the team from top to bottom, bringing in a roster tailored to his vision of the game. At the heart of this transformation is none other than Bennett Stirtz, a dynamic point guard who’s been McCollum’s trusted lieutentant from Northwest Missouri State, through Drake, and now here at Iowa. Last season, Stirtz dazzled at Drake, snatching up the Missouri Valley Conference’s Larry Bird Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards — not just numbers, but a testament to his game-changing talent. Averaging nearly 20 points and dishing out nearly six assists a game, he’s the catalyst expected to steer the Hawkeyes back into postseason contention. Trust me, the buzz isn’t just coming from the stands — national media have taken note, showering Stirtz with preseason honors and recognizing Iowa as a potential top-10 threat in the Big Ten. If you’re as intrigued as I am, mark your calendar for November 4, when the Hawks open their campaign against Robert Morris, showcasing this bold new chapter. LEARN MORE

The hype and buzz are real surrounding the Iowa men’s basketball team in 2025-26.

With new head coach Ben McCollum entering the fold, Hawkeye fans are feeling hopeful about a men’s basketball season for the first time in a while. McCollum has overhauled the entire roster with new talent that better fits the style of basketball he likes to play. And all of that starts with the addition of star point guard Bennett Stirtz.

Stirtz has followed McCollum from Northwest Missouri State to Drake and now to Iowa. With the Bulldogs last year, Stirtz won the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year awards.

Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists per game and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.8% from the field, 39.5% from behind the arc and 79.4% from the charity stripe. He helped lead Drake to the NCAA Tournament and is now looking to bring similar postseason success to the Hawkeyes.

And it’s not just fans that think Stirtz will be good this season. The national media seems to be in on the hype as well.

Stirtz received his first major preseason recognition on Tuesday, earning preseason All-Big Ten status from the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

Stirtz joins Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, and UCLA’s Donovan Dent on the Blue Ribbon preseason All-Big Ten team.

In its Blue Ribbon Forecast, Iowa basketball was predicted to finish seventh in the 18-team Big Ten during the 2025-26 season.

Hawkeye fans will be able to check out Stirtz and this new-look Iowa men’s basketball team on Nov. 4 when the Hawks host Robert Morris in a nonconference clash.

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