Iowa City Today

University of Iowa senior Bennett Stirtz has been named to the 10-player preseason All-Big Ten team, according to an announcement from the league office on Tuesday.

Stirtz joins a list of Hawkeyes who have received this recognition in recent years. Iowa has had players on the preseason All-Big Ten team in six of the last seven seasons, with previous honorees including Joe Wieskamp (2019), Luka Garza (2020), Keegan Murray (2021), Kris Murray (2022), and Payton Sandfort (2024).

Stirtz has also been recognized by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook as a preseason fourth-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection.

A native of Liberty, Missouri, Stirtz is entering his first season with Iowa. Last season at Drake, he was named an All-American by three outlets. He also earned Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors.

During the 2024-25 season, Stirtz led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring with 19.2 points per game, steals with 2.21 per game, and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.86. He was second in assists at 5.7 per game and led all NCAA players in minutes played, averaging 39 minutes and 22 seconds per game.

The 2025 Big Ten Media Day is scheduled for October 9 in Chicago, with full coverage available on BTN.

The Big Ten also announced Braden Smith of Purdue as the Preseason Player of the Year. The full Preseason All-Big Ten Team includes Bennett Stirtz (Iowa), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), Bruce Thornton (Ohio State), Nate Bittle (Oregon), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue), Braden Smith (Purdue, unanimous selection), Donoven Dent (UCLA), and John Blackwell (Wisconsin).