Iowa City Today

University of Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz has received an invitation to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp, scheduled for July 29 through August 1 in Las Vegas.

Stirtz is among a select group of 12 student-athletes invited to participate in the camp, which is led by NBA veteran Chris Paul. The camp focuses on preparing players for challenges at the collegiate and professional levels.

"The camp teaches the attendees what it takes to play at the highest level and how to prepare for the hurdles they will face in college and then the NBA," according to organizers.

Stirtz, from Liberty, Missouri, is entering his first season with Iowa after transferring from Drake University. During the 2024-25 season at Drake, he was recognized as an All-America honoree by Field of 68, Andy Katz, Associated Press and USBWA. He was also a finalist for both the Lou Henson Award (top mid-major player) and Riley Wallace Award (most impactful transfer).

He earned Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors last season after leading the conference in scoring with 19.2 points per game, steals with 2.21 per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.86. Stirtz ranked second in assists (5.7 per game) and led all NCAA players in minutes played, averaging just over 39 minutes per contest.

His performance helped lead Drake University to a 31-4 record overall, including MVC regular season and tournament titles as well as a trip to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Stirtz joins Iowa as one of twelve newcomers on a fourteen-player roster under first-year head coach Ben McCollum. According to 247Sports, Iowa’s transfer class is ranked eighth-best nationally.