Veteran Guard Prospects Square Off in Tuesday College Basketball Showdown

Thanksgiving week has been the backdrop for a number of early-season college basketball tournaments for years.

After a few lopsided contests early in the year, tournaments like the Players Era Festival, and others, allow teams to get a better look at how they stack up against other solid programs from aorund the country.

One of those events is the Acrisure Series, which began earlier this week and has already produced multiple exciting matchups. On Tuesday night, Iowa and Mississippi met in the event's opening round.

The two squads battled, but in the end, the Hawkeyes came out on top with a 74-69 victory against the Rebels.

Leading the way for Iowa was Bennett Stritz, a veteran guard who has the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Stirtz finished with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 9-of-20 from the field, 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.

Iowa had only one other player reach double figures, as Cooper Koch finished with 14 points.

Stirtz's performance is the latest in what has been a solid start to his career with the Hawkeyes.

This season, the senior guard is averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 assists and 3 rebounds while shooting 53.7% from the field and 53.6% from beyond the arc on 4.7 attempts in the Hawkeyes' first six games.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Stirtz transferred to Iowa after spending the 2024-25 season at Drake. Prior to Drake, the Stirtz played two seasons at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II program.

Ben McCollum, who is currently at the helm for the Hawkeyes, has been Stirtz head coach at each of his collegiate stops. If Stirtz continues to have a strong season, the veteran's playmaking, touch, shooting ability and experience could be enough to earn a spot in the top 30 of the NBA Draft.

For Mississippi, senior guard AJ Storr scored a team-high 22 points in the loss, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 8-of-10 from the free throw line.

Alongside Storr, Ilias Kamardine chipped in 12 points, 4 assists, a rebound, 2 steals and 2 blocks while shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. Kamardine joined the Rebels over the offseason after playing internationally for JDA Dijon in France.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Kamardine is classified as a senior on Mississippi's roster and could be an NBA Draft pick this summer. With good size, strong passing ability and experience amongst professsionals, an NBA team could spend a second-round pick on the French guard.

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