Bennett Stirtz Leaving Lasting Impact at Iowa

First year head coach Ben McCollum knows the Iowa Hawkeyes wouldn't be where they are today if it weren't for senior guard Bennett Stirtz.

McCollum brought a ton of Drake players with him, but no one was more impactful than the Missouri native.

Stirtz stands 6'4'' 190-pounds and embodies everything the Hawkeyes want in their basketball program.

Ahead of Senior Night, he had a chance to speak with the media on the impact he hopes he left on the program.

Bennett Stirtz on his One Year at Iowa

Ahead of Senior Night, Bennett Stirtz on the impact he hopes he left on the Iowa program: “A foundation. And just know that I gave it my all. I know (McCollum) is going to get it rolling, even better than it was this year. I just want to give it my all, establish a culture. I… pic.twitter.com/f6tTUCoZpK
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) March 3, 2026

"A foundation," Stirtz said. "And just know that I gave it my all. I know (McCollum) is going to get it rolling, even better than it was this year. I just want to give it my all, establish a culture. I think we did that this year. But our best days are ahead of us this season.”

The transfer portal could certainly help, as it's not like Iowa has the biggest Class of 2026 coming in. Either way, Stirtz poured his heart and soul into this program, one that desperately needed it after they moved on from Fran McCaffery in a move many believed came years too late.

Stirtz will see his name attached to plenty of awards, as he's already in contention for a few. He may not end his career as the best point guard in the entire country, but he's been a monster in the B1G and Iowa needs him to step up big-time for their final two games.

Iowa Must Still Make NCAA Tournament

Iowa G Bennett Stirt — Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) takes a hard fall during a basketball game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Feb. 17, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The last thing McCollum or Stirtz wants to do is miss the tournament after all the work they've put in. Iowa's loss to Penn State was brutal, abysmal, embarrassing, and seemingly everything in-between.

Now, they're tasked with hosting the No. 3 team in the nation, Michigan. The Wolverines are fresh off a loss to Duke, but it's not like Iowa is anywhere near the same team the No. 1 Blue Devils are.

Iowa does indeed already have a Top 10 win on their home court, so Stirtz will be looking to pull out a miracle at Carver. This will be his final time playing at CHA, which is incredibly sad to think about. The transfer portal brings out these "one-year rental" style players, which have become quite normal within the program; look no further than fifth-year senior quarterback Mark Gronowski, who lit things up on the football team.

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