Iowa Guard In Top 25 NBA Draft Big Board

The 2026 NBA draft class is as loaded as ever, so it's always interesting to see where Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz falls into the mix.

Recently, ESPN's Jeremy Woo compiled a list of the Top 100 prospects. To no surprise, Stirtz made the cut.

Not only did Stirtz make the cut, but he found himself in the Top 25. Stirtz has done everything in his power to make a name for himself in the black and gold this season, and it's clear he's put the world on notice.

Stirtz clocks in at No. 22 on their big board rankings, an impressive number for the Hawkeyes star point guard. Iowa will certainly miss him next year, but it's clear Ben McCollum's favorite player should have a successful NBA career.

No. 22 Bennett Stirtz

STIRTZ FOR THREEEEE! ⚡️@bennett_stirtz x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/HiIAoXVmPO
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 11, 2026

"Stirtz has played extremely well recently, stringing together seven straight 20-point games, and is now above 40% from 3 on the season. There's a bit of dissonance between the eye test and his extreme efficiency, as he doesn't get great separation from defenders at times and isn't a dynamic athlete on either end of the floor," Woo wrote.

"Stirtz has a knack for scoring and navigating screens, and his hot shooting stretch will only help his case as teams looking for immediate backcourt help evaluate the potential first-round guards," he continued.

While Woo had nothing but great things to say about the Hawkeyes guard, it should be noted he was No. 19 the last time these rankings came out. For whatever reason, even after back-to-back 30+ point games, Stirtz still fell three spots in the rankings.

Successful Senior Season Would Be An Understatement

Stacking Honors. 🐤@bennett_stirtz was named to the Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List! pic.twitter.com/i7FFYUMFcN
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 10, 2026

Coming off a year where he averaged 39.3 minutes per game at Drake with 19.2 points, Stirtz has found a way to increase his points per game, in a tougher conference, with less minutes.

Obviously, Stirtz has started all 24 games this season. He's currently averaging 36.6 minutes per game, though he's played all 40 in his last three and five of his last six. Either way, he's up to a 20.4 points per game average.

Stirtz is shooting a staggering 51.4% from the field and 40.5% from three. He made the transition from the MVC to B1G look extremely easy, and that's not something the likes of Woo are taking lightly. Sure, he may have fallen three spots, but Stirtz is still a lock to be picked in the first round and if he keeps up at this pace he'll be within the Top 20 again in no time.

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