Two of NBA Draft’s Best Point Guards to Rematch in Purdue-Iowa

The last time No. 13 Purdue and Iowa faced off yielded a great basketball game.

Purdue’s Braden Smith, one of the top point guards in the nation, got off to a slow start, but turned things around by scoring 16 points in the second half to lead the then-No. 5 Boilermakers past the Hawkeyes by just seven. Bennett Stirtz, likely the other best senior guard in the country, didn’t have a magnificent game by his standards in going for 19 points, and hitting just two of nine triples while seeing three turnovers to four assists.

Now, the two are set to face off again Saturday, this time in Iowa City opposed to West Lafayette.

Things look different since Purdue’s Smith and Iowa’s Stirtz last met. Both teams likely aren’t where they want to be on the season, but there’s been positives on both ends. Purdue is fresh off a big overtime win over No. 7 Nebraska, and Stirtz is amid an upward trend that could see Iowa explode at just the right time.

In the seven games since their first meeting, Stirtz has scored 27.0 points per contest, shooting 57% overall and 47% from three. Even more, he’s averaging 4.6 assists to just 2.1 turnovers, with 1.4 steals per game.

Iowa 6’4 PG Bennett Stirtz has been one of the best guard prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft.

For the season Stirtz is averaging 20/2/5 on 51/41/84 splits and is averaging 22/2/4 on 52/41/86 splits in B10 play.

Stirtz is one of the most efficient and effective PG’s in the… pic.twitter.com/XNqNyxFwaT
— KJ (@KJScouting) February 10, 2026

In that same span, Smith has interestingly raised his scoring to 17.1 points per game, but has dipped in the play-making department as likely the best passer in the country. He’s averaging just 6.6 assists to 3.3 turnovers.

Both are elite at scoring and passing the ball, but league decision-makers will also be looking to see how they fare against one another defensively, given both are likely pro-level offensive players.

At 6-foot-4, Stirtz is an interesting and specific draft-case. He has a slow-paced style built around the pick-and-roll, and enticing shot-making. Smith does the bulk of his work in the pick-and-roll as well, but has less natural scoring to his game, instead offering country-best passing skill.

Stirtz' stock is certainly much higher at this point given his size and translatability, ranging somewhere from the late lottery to late first round depending on what teams are looking for. Smith isn't too far behind, likely starting in the early second round and extending to the end of the draft.

Purdue and Iowa tip off at 4 p.m. in a matchup that’s sure to catch the attention of NBA decision-makers looking for lead guards.