Stirtz was the steady captain of the Hawkeyes' offensive ship and always provided a bucket when Iowa needed it the most.
Ben McCollum's decision to fill his first Iowa men's basketball team with many of his players from Drake caused many Hawkeye fans to be slightly skeptical, but there was one player that no one had any doubt about - Bennett Stirtz.
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year had major expectations placed on him from the moment he announced he would follow McCollum from Drake, but Stirtz never seemed to fold under that immense pressure.
The result? One of the best seasons by an Iowa point guard in a long time.
Here's Stirtz's 2025-26 season grade:
The rundown
Stirtz was already regarded as one of the nation's top point guards when he arrived in Iowa City, but one question the national media (and the local media in Lincoln, Nebraska) had was if Stirtz could carry that over to the ragged Big Ten.
It didn't take long for that answer to be revealed. Stirtz was almost a lock to score double figures each night, and that wasn't by accident. His first game in an Iowa uniform came against a mediocre Robert Morris team, but that was all it took for many Hawkeye fans to get excited.
Stirtz's ball-handling, passing, shooting, and even dunking skills were on full display throughout that game, foreshadowing what was to come. Iowa's lack of a go-to scorer for much of the season forced Stirtz to take the bulk of the scoring load, but he delivered.
The senior posted 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Stirtz led the Hawkeyes in points, assists, and steals per game, and if you go back through some of Iowa's wins in conference play, you'll find that Stirtz was often the difference between the Hawkeyes winning and losing.
I've often pointed out one signature game from each of these players while writing these grades, but it's extremely difficult to find one game from Stirtz. One of his best games of the season came in the Elite Eight loss to Illinois (24 points, 8/17 FG), but if I could pick one game right now, it would have to be the regular season win over Nebraska at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 17.
Iowa needed a win over a ranked team in the worst way, and literally had to win a game in the worst fashion to get it. The Hawkeyes escaped with a 57-52 win, and the only player that could muster some offense was Stirtz. He finished with a game-high 25 points (the only player to score 20+) to carry Iowa across the finish line.
The Hawkeyes probably get to the NCAA tournament even with a loss there, but a win definitely stopped the tailspin (Iowa had just lost to Maryland and Purdue) that was beginning to develop at that point.
I can write about Stirtz all day, but it would be pointless because you all witnessed his impact on this basketball team. Iowa obviously doesn't have the NCAA tournament success without Stirtz, and it's safe to say he accomplished his goal of building a new foundation for a successful era of Hawkeye basketball.
Stirtz's attention turns to the upcoming NBA Draft, where he is projected as a first round pick after a successful combine workout.
Grade: A+
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io