Bennett Stirtz Wants To Leave A ‘Foundation” In His One Year With Iowa Basketball

Bennett Stirtz has some of the distinctive paths within the historical past of school basketball.

It has been well-documented that Stirtz had no D1 gives popping out of highschool and went on to play at Northwest Missouri State for head coach Ben McCollum.

Following his sophomore season on the D2 degree, the place Stirtz was all-conference, Stirtz adopted McCollum to drake and shortly grew to become one of many prime level guards within the mid-major ranks. Stirtz received the Missouri Valley Player of the Year, was thought-about top-of-the-line level guards in faculty basketball after his junior marketing campaign, and made the choice to observe McCollum once more to Iowa City to affix the Iowa basketball program.

Stirtz has left his mark at each cease, going from an unknown D2 guard to a projected NBA lottery decide. Here are some noteworthy stats on Stirtz, by way of HawkeyeSports activities.com.

Stirtz is averaging 20.5 factors, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per recreation, whereas taking pictures 51.1 % from the sphere and 39.3 % from three, and is correct on the point of main his crew to an NCAA Tournament look for the second straight yr after beginning his profession within the D2 ranks.

Stirtz has scored 30+ factors 3 times and 20+ factors in 10 of the final 12 video games (17 instances this season; tied for second-most in Big Ten). His 36 factors in opposition to Northwestern are probably the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza in 2021 and are tied for the fourth-most in a recreation in Carver-Hawkeye Arena historical past.

Stirtz is second within the Big Ten in scoring in league-only video games, averaging 22.9 factors to associate with 3.8 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a .520/.388/.841 taking pictures clip. He has three 30-point and 12 20-point contests in league play.

Over his final 11 video games, Stirtz has performed 40 minutes seven instances and has been on the court docket for all however 5:05 of the doable 440 minutes of recreation motion.

It’s a exceptional journey — and Stirtz is aware of he isn’t completed but. Stirtz will play his closing recreation as a Hawkeye in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, March 5, in opposition to No. 3 Michigan, as he then appears to guide his crew to a couple extra wins in March.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Stirtz stated of his distinctive path in faculty basketball. “This place has been great, though. I wish I were here all four years, but all the stops in my career have been great for me, and I’m very appreciative.”

“It’s been super fun. I’m glad I chose here. A great coaching staff and the dude who helped me become the player I am, Coach Mac, didn’t want to leave him. He knows what’s best for me, my family knows what’s best for me, and they all pointed me here. Super glad.”

Stirtz may’ve gone wherever within the nation after his junior season at Drake. A lot of faculties had been throwing numbers and providing their approach, however he knew it was in his greatest curiosity to stay with McCollum and end the journey that they began collectively.

McCollum was one of many first to see Stirtz’s expertise from the start, out of Liberty High School within the Kansas City suburbs, and that bond has caught with the 2 over the past couple of years as they’ve received a number of video games collectively at three completely different faculties.

That sort of loyalty and relationship is just not at all times seen on this period of school basketball, however Stirtz and McCollum have distinctive ties collectively relationship again to the recruiting course of, the place McCollum would write Stirtz lengthy, intensive handwritten letters about why he believed he was the proper match for his system.

“I think we’ve been through a lot, just moving so many different times,” McCollum stated. “We’ll probably never realize it until five, six years down the road. Like this is a pretty epic deal. Like who does that? Who does what he did? Like, I go from D2 to mid-major to the Big Ten over a span of like it’s a span of a two-year deal. He was just in Maryville two years ago. This is ridiculous what he’s done. And so we’ll probably look at it, look back at it, in four or five years and be like, ‘Man, this is pretty cool. And then to handle it the way he’s done it and take it in stride and handle it with the humility that he does and still be a good person is pretty impressive.”

“I’m a little more spirited, if you will. A little more fiery, a little more emotional. He’s prettier, prettier calm, and probably doesn’t say as many things. Why it works is, I’ve always said, his pulse probably sits at about 20. And I can raise that thing to about a thirty-five, maybe, his borderline just like there. And mine sits at about 150, and maybe he can take mine down to about 120. So it just kind of balances itself out a little bit where I’m excitable, and he’s calm, and it certainly works out better because I raise him up and he calms me.”

It’s a kind of offers that’s unlucky, as Stirtz will solely be a Hawkeye for one season. It’s much like Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowskiwho helped enhance the narrative across the quarterback place after the Hawkeyes’ latest struggles at that spot, however he was solely a Hawkeye for one season.

Iowa has had its justifiable share of gifted level guards over the past couple of years, in addition to fan favorites, together with Mike Gesell and Jordan Bohannonand Stirtz is subsequent in line there, whereas additionally displaying his accolades in being one of many prime level guards in faculty basketball after which a future lottery decide within the NBA Draft.

Stirtz is aware of he nonetheless has extra targets to realize.

Sure, he has some spectacular particular person successes to boast about, though he is some of the humble guys you may meet, so he will not possible deliver it as much as anybody, and there’s a purpose why he is nonetheless trending as a probable lottery decide, however there’s nonetheless quite a bit to play for this season.

Iowa is at present 20-9 total and 10-8 within the Big Ten and is seeking to be in a great place to make the NCAA Tournament in Ben McCollum’s first yr as the pinnacle coach, however there’s nonetheless work to be completed, because the Hawkeyes have two top-10 opponents in Michigan and Nebraska forward of them earlier than the Big Ten Tournament.

Stirtz needs to make it again to the NCAA Tournament, figuring out what that would assist do for the Iowa program within the first yr of the McCollum period, and likewise the way it may assist the Hawkeyes discover their subsequent alternative for Stirtz.

Stirtz is without doubt one of the largest believers within the imaginative and prescient McCollum is promoting as a result of he is seen it firsthand at different stops, and he needs to be a part of it greater than something.

“Foundation,” Stirtz stated of the legacy he needs to depart in Iowa City. “Just know that I gave it my all. I know Mac is going to get it rolling even better than it was this year. I just want to give it my all, establish a culture, and I think we did that this year. Our best days are ahead of us this season.”

“I think that’s both of us, what we thought coming in. I think we could build something special here, and I know that Mac is going to. Selfishly, I just want to be a little bit of a part of that.”

It’s greater than okay to be slightly egocentric about that, Bennett. In only one season, Stirtz has already etched his identify into Hawkeye historical past. And if March goes the best way he hopes, the legend will solely develop.

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