Iowa Guard Draws Comparison to NBA Champion

Throughout the course of the Iowa Hawkeyes' 8-1 start to head coach Ben McCollum's inaugural season, many headlining narratives have outlined the team's development in what is essentially a rebuilding phase for the program. Most recently, their 7-0 start being interrupted by a blowout loss, and then subsequently redeemed by a blowout win, has shifted the Hawkeyes' outlook towards an anticipated appearance in the AP Poll.

Among those and other through-lines is the continued dominance of senior guard Bennett Stirtz. Playing nearly 40 minutes a game on a regular basis and averaging 18.8 points per contest, the longtime brainchild of McCollum's brand of basketball has made himself the face of the team.

A Sleeper Secondary Option

While Stirtz continues to serve as Iowa's "poster player", the unit's reliable complementary options are often buried beneath the media attention that the star guard receives. One such example is guard Tate Sage, who, following Iowa's most recent win over the Maryland Terrapins at home, has garnered a heap of well-deserved attention for his specific role in the Hawkeyes' offense.

Despite averaging just six points, two rebounds and one assist per game, the freshman role-player (in the most literal sense) exhibits the recently rarified value of committing to a team's overall vision and executing based on that alone.

Meant to put this out last night -- Ben McCollum has been telling Sage that he wants him to be a Christian Braun type. Former Kansas guard that currently plays for the Denver Nuggets. Averaged 15 and 5 last season. Think that's a perfect comp for him. https://t.co/3shl4OcuST
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) December 7, 2025

According to Eliot Clough of 247Sports, McCollum has told Sage that he wants him to be a "Christian Braun" type player for the Hawkeyes this season. Braun, a former Kansas guard and recent NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets, is a scoring wing who has made a career for himself by staying on the move.

Sage's movement off the ball, as a cutter, is the proof in the pudding for both McCollum's comparison and his value as a cog in the team's overall, increasingly well-oiled machine.

Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) dribbles down the court against the Southeast Missouri Red Hawks Nov. 18, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sage's NBA Archetype

Sean Bock, also of 247Sports, said that Sage "Just knows where to be, when to be there, and which angles and spots to use to get great catches for scoring opportunities."

"He's scoring 1.353 points per possession on cutting actions this season," he pointed out, highlighting just how impactful the first-year guard has been in the specific role that McCollum has carved out for him.

Of everything that can be and has been said of McCollum pulling players from his previous position(s), what he's already managed with Iowa's bunch of freshman bodes incredibly well for the program when his long-term assets leave. Tate Sage is just one of the multitude of examples on this thrilling Hawkeyes team.

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