Star Guard Named Potential Transfer Portal Addition for Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes could potentially land this star guard via the transfer portal after hiring Ben McCollum as head coach.

Mar 22, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) talks with head coach Ben McCollum during the second half at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes have landed a new coach in Ben McCollum, beginning a new era in Iowa City. McCollum certainly has his work cut out for him given all of the departures Iowa has had recently, but perhaps he could bring in some big additions via the transfer portal?

Black Heart Gold Pants has speculated on a few potential Drake Bulldogs players that could potentially make their way to the Hawkeyes, as McCollum coached Drake to a 31-5 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance this past season.

The top name that surfaced was guard Bennett Stirtz, who just led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring.

"His abilities on full display in the tournament should help to ease concerns over McCollum’s ability to recruit," Black Heart Gold Pants wrote. "Stirtz very clearly belongs, even getting some NBA buzz on Thursday, but was overlooked by D1 coaches out of high school."

Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals over 39.4 minutes per game on 49.8/39.5/79.4 shooting splits this past season.

He has spent his entire collegiate tenure with McCollum, as he began his career at Northwest Missouri State, but transferred after his sophomore campaign after McCollum made the jump to Drake.

It's only natural to wonder if the 6-foot-4 sharpshooter will follow McCollum once again, especially now that McCollum is at a Big Ten program.

Iowa has lost a massive chunk of its roster to the transfer portal after the firing of Fran McCaffery, so now, it's up to McCollum to repair the damage. Perhaps he could convince Stirtz to come on board.

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