Iowa City Today

University of Iowa senior Bennett Stirtz has been named to the USA Today Network Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten team, according to an announcement made Wednesday.

Stirtz, who is from Liberty, Missouri, enters his first season with Iowa after transferring from Drake University. Last season at Drake, he received All-American honors from three different organizations and was recognized as both the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. During his 2024-25 campaign, Stirtz led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring with 19.2 points per game, steals at 2.21 per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.86. He was second in assists with 5.7 per game and led all NCAA players in minutes played, averaging 39:22 per contest.

He has also received additional preseason recognition as a fourth team All-American and as an All-Big Ten selection by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, as well as being named a preseason All-Big Ten pick in a media vote conducted by the league office.

Joining Stirtz on the USA Today Network preseason first team are Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn from Purdue, Yaxel Lendeborg from Michigan, and Donovan Dent from UCLA.

Iowa is projected to finish ninth in the USA Today Network’s preseason poll under new head coach Ben McCollum. The poll lists Purdue, Michigan, Illinois, UCLA, and Michigan State as its top five teams.

The Hawkeyes will start their season on November 4 by hosting Robert Morris at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Season tickets for Iowa’s upcoming campaign are available through their official website.