Iowa City Today

University of Iowa senior Bennett Stirtz has been named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List, according to an announcement by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.

Stirtz is now the fourth player from Iowa to appear on the Cousy Award Watch List. He joins previous Hawkeyes Jeff Horner (2006), Mike Gesell (2016), and Jordan Bohannon (2018).

The Liberty, Missouri native has received several preseason honors. CBS Sports selected him as a second-team preseason All-American, while Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook placed him on its fourth team. He is also a preseason All-Big Ten pick by Blue Ribbon, USA Today Network, and in a media vote conducted by the league office.

Stirtz transferred to Iowa for his first season with the team after playing at Drake University during the 2024-25 season. There, he was named an All-American by three outlets, won Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year, and was recognized as Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year.

He led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring with 19.2 points per game, steals at 2.21 per game, and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.86. Stirtz also ranked second in assists with 5.7 per game and led all NCAA players in minutes played, averaging just over 39 minutes per contest.

Among Big Ten players, Stirtz is one of four included on this year's Cousy Award Watch List alongside Purdue’s Braden Smith (the 2025 award recipient), Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau, and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton.

According to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, "The Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year List will be fluid throughout the year before being narrowed to 10 players in late January with the final five finalists being announced in March. The award winner and presentation details will be revealed at the Final Four in Indianapolis."

Iowa's men's basketball team will start its 2025-26 season on November 4 against Robert Morris at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets for both season and single games are available online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.