Dick Vitale Names New Iowa Hooper As Prime-Time Player For 2025

Dick Vitale is high on one of the newest members of the Iowa Hawkeyes' basketball program heading into 2025.

Mar 1, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; ESPN analyst Dick Vitale before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

It's going to be a new look Iowa Hawkeyes basketball team in 2025, almost from top to bottom.

The big change, of course, is at head coach. Fran McCaffery is out after 15 seasons and an up-and-comer with strong ties to Iowa City, Ben McCollum, is in.

The McCollum era of Iowa basketball will start off with intrigue, because he did a ton right after his hiring to remake the Hawkeyes in his image. McCollum was active in the transfer portal and brought in several interesting players.

None, perhaps, are more intriguing than senior guard Bennett Stirtz, though. Stirtz followed McCollum from Drake to Iowa City and he has the potential to be a star for the Hawkeyes in 2025.

His potential at Iowa is so great, in fact, that long-time college basketball announcer and broadcasting legend Dick Vitale recently gave Stirtz a shoutout. He named the new Hawkeye as one of the top "Prime Time Players" that changed schools in the transfer portal this offseason.

"Stirtz is a skilled combo guard with a silky arc shot and a knack for scoring around the rim," Vitale wrote. "The Big Ten's a step up, but this kid's got the talent to adapt and excel in his first year with the Hawkeyes. In that motion offense, Stirtz will slice and dice Big Ten defenses like a Ginsu knife!"

There's a lot to be excited for regarding Stirtz for fans of the Iowa basketball program. He checks in at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds and last season at Drake he averaged 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He shot 49.8% from the field and 39.5% from behind the three-point line.

In Drake's two NCAA Tournament games, Stirtz averaged 21 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds.

He was a star at Drake, and if Stirtz can quickly adapt to life in the Big Ten, he could end up being star for McCollum at Iowa as well.