Alert Top Story Topical COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL | IOWA From D2 second teamer to NBA prospect: Inside Bennett Stirtz’s rapid rise and how he manages big expectations at Iowa ethan.petrik Nov 3, 2025 Nov 3, 2025 Updated Feb 10, 2026 0 × Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz previews the 2025-26 season during media day on Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Iowa City. (Ethan Petrik/Quad-City Times) Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save IOWA CITY — Ego is the enemy.kAmx@H2 >6?’D 32D<6E32== 9625 4@249 q6? |4r@==F> C64@>>6?565 E96 3@@< E@ q6??6EE $E:CEK 29625 @7 9:D =@?6 D62D@? H:E9 E96 w2H<6J6D]k^Am Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz dribbles the ball during practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Thursday, June 19. ETHAN PETRIK, Quad-City Times kAm|4r@==F>’D 4@249:?8 96=A65 >@=5 $E:CEK :?E@ E96 A6C764E A=2J6C E@ =625 sC2<6 E@ 2 b`\c C64@C5[ |:DD@FC: '2==6J r@?76C6?46 C68F=2C D62D@? 2?5 E@FC?2>6?E E:E=6D 2?5 2 C@F?5\@7\ba 2AA62C2?46 :? 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D4C:>>286D 2?5 249:6G6D >@C6k^2mk^Am kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^B4E:>6D]4@>^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^6bfcgedg\4d72\c3`c\3gea\6_727f_4d6c4Qm(92E 2==@HD ?6H x@H2 >6?’D 32D<6E32== 4@249 q6? |4r@==F> E@ 86E E96 >@DE @FE @7 9:D A=2J6CDnk^2mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^B4E:>6D]4@>^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^3befhccg\h24d\ch34\2a4c\7ch4ab`7da22Qm(92E A=2J6C :>AC6DD65 x@H2 9625 4@249 q6? |4r@==F> E96 >@DE E9:D @77D62D@?nk^2mk^Am Ethan Petrik is a University of Iowa beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at ethan.petrik@wcfcourier.com. 0 Comments Locations Davenport Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ethan.petrik Author email Follow ethan.petrik Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Related to this story Bennett Stirtz | Iowa Men's Basketball | Oct. 15 Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz previews the 2025-26 season during media day on Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Iowa City. (Ethan Petrik/Quad-City Times) Why Iowa men's basketball does not scout preseason scrimmages and achieves more Iowa men's basketball reportedly lost a preseason scrimmage to Saint Louis. According to head coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes achieved more t… What player impressed Iowa head coach Ben McCollum the most this offseason? One of Iowa's 2025 high school signees caught Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum's attention during the lead up to the 2025-26 season in Iowa City. Iowa men’s basketball head coach Ben McCollum discusses Tavion Banks’ arrest Iowa men's basketball head coach Ben McCollum addressed the arrest of Hawkeye senior guard Tavion Banks during a press conference on Wednesday. Iowa men's basketball guard arrested after altercation at bar An Iowa men's basketball player was arrested Saturday morning following an altercation at ReUnion Brewery in Iowa City. Big Ten announces conference hoops schedules, Iowa men to face Maryland, Purdue, Nebraska twice The Big Ten conference announced its men's basketball conference schedules on Thursday. Iowa drew Maryland, Purdue and Nebraska as two-play op… Four-star power forward commits to Iowa men's basketball, first 2026 commit for Hawkeyes The Iowa men's basketball program landed its first commit in the 2026 recruiting class, landing the top player from the state of Washington on… Iowa men's basketball releases non-conference schedule Iowa opens the Ben McCollum era with seven home games, three neutral site contests and one road matchup before beginning Big Ten play. Iowa's Bennett Stirtz named preseason All-Big Ten The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook named Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz to the five-player preseason All-Big Ten team. Recap & 3 Takeaways from Iowa men’s basketball: Ben McCollum era gets off on right foot Iowa opened the Ben McCollum era with a 101-69 runaway win over Robert Morris in a raucous and energized Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday. Recap & Takeaways: Why Ben McCollum was prouder of Iowa's win on Friday than Tuesday’s blowout Iowa picked up its second win of the 2025 college basketball season with a 19-point win over Western Illinois on Friday night. Why did Ben McCollum want Cooper Koch back at Iowa? Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben McCollum made retaining three Hawkeyes a priority during his introductory press conference in March. Only… Recap & Takeaways: What was impressive in an otherwise sluggish first half? The Iowa men's basketball team jumped out to a big lead before cruising to a 29-point win over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday. Recap: Iowa downs Chicago State, sets up battle of unbeatens against Ole Miss next week The Iowa men's basketball team continued its undefeated run to start the 2025-26 season with a 39-point win over Chicago State on Thursday. Recap & Takeaways: What Cooper Koch’s dad told him before Iowa sophomore’s first double-double Iowa managed its second high major win of the season with a five-point victory over Ole Miss in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, Californ… Recap & Takeaways: Michigan State hits brakes on Iowa's Ben McCollum hype train Michigan State put an end to Iowa's undefeated start to the 2025-26 men's basketball season with a 71-52 beatdown in the Breslin Center on Tue… Recap & Takeaways: First-half three-point barrage sparks Iowa over Maryland The Iowa men's basketball team connected on each of its first six three-point attempts in a blowout win over Maryland. Recap & Takeaways: What makes Tate Sage a special player for Iowa? Iowa's blowout win over Western Michigan provided Tate Sage another opportunity to showcase what makes him a special player for the Hawkeyes e… What is the poison Ben McCollum wants Iowa to avoid as non-conference play ends? Iowa men's basketball head coach Ben McCollum's message to the Hawkeyes before a 91-51 rout of Western Michigan on Sunday was to avoid a speci… Can Iowa men’s basketball change lopsided free throw numbers? With a minus-35 free throw differential in games against high major opponents, the Iowa men's basketball team cannot seem to get a favorable w… Recap & Takeaways: Des Moines deserved better than Iowa’s blowout of Bucknell Iowa was originally scheduled to face Saint Louis, a top 25 team in the NET rankings, but new head coach Ben McCollum opted to face Bucknell i… How one overtime win over Upper Iowa set Iowa head coach Ben McCollum on a path to success Before the 2016-17 season at Northwest Missouri State, Ben McCollum decided he was done settling for "good enough". Six months later, greatnes… Watch: Iowa's Ben McCollum, Tavion Banks and Bennett Stirtz react to win over Northwestern Iowa head coach Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz and Alvaro Folgueiras discussed the Hawkeyes' matchup against USC following the one-point win on … How will Iowa replace Bennett Stirtz after star guard’s lone season with Hawkeyes Iowa men's basketball coach Ben McCollum are open to anything in pursuing the "best available" player to replace Bennett Stirtz after the Libe… Watch Now: Related Video CyHawk Talk: NCAA Tournament X-factors, expectations for Iowa, Iowa State men & women Jan Jensen - NCAA Selection Show | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Jan Jensen - NCAA Selection Show | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright - NCAA Women's Basketball | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright - NCAA Women's Basketball | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Taylor Stremlow - NCAA Selection Show | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Taylor Stremlow - NCAA Selection Show | Iowa Women's Basketball | March 15 Recommended for you
ethan.petrik Author email Follow ethan.petrik Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
Bennett Stirtz | Iowa Men's Basketball | Oct. 15 Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz previews the 2025-26 season during media day on Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Iowa City. (Ethan Petrik/Quad-City Times)
Why Iowa men's basketball does not scout preseason scrimmages and achieves more Iowa men's basketball reportedly lost a preseason scrimmage to Saint Louis. According to head coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes achieved more t…
What player impressed Iowa head coach Ben McCollum the most this offseason? One of Iowa's 2025 high school signees caught Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum's attention during the lead up to the 2025-26 season in Iowa City.
Iowa men’s basketball head coach Ben McCollum discusses Tavion Banks’ arrest Iowa men's basketball head coach Ben McCollum addressed the arrest of Hawkeye senior guard Tavion Banks during a press conference on Wednesday.
Iowa men's basketball guard arrested after altercation at bar An Iowa men's basketball player was arrested Saturday morning following an altercation at ReUnion Brewery in Iowa City.
Big Ten announces conference hoops schedules, Iowa men to face Maryland, Purdue, Nebraska twice The Big Ten conference announced its men's basketball conference schedules on Thursday. Iowa drew Maryland, Purdue and Nebraska as two-play op…
Four-star power forward commits to Iowa men's basketball, first 2026 commit for Hawkeyes The Iowa men's basketball program landed its first commit in the 2026 recruiting class, landing the top player from the state of Washington on…
Iowa men's basketball releases non-conference schedule Iowa opens the Ben McCollum era with seven home games, three neutral site contests and one road matchup before beginning Big Ten play.
Iowa's Bennett Stirtz named preseason All-Big Ten The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook named Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz to the five-player preseason All-Big Ten team.
Recap & 3 Takeaways from Iowa men’s basketball: Ben McCollum era gets off on right foot Iowa opened the Ben McCollum era with a 101-69 runaway win over Robert Morris in a raucous and energized Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday.
Recap & Takeaways: Why Ben McCollum was prouder of Iowa's win on Friday than Tuesday’s blowout Iowa picked up its second win of the 2025 college basketball season with a 19-point win over Western Illinois on Friday night.
Why did Ben McCollum want Cooper Koch back at Iowa? Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben McCollum made retaining three Hawkeyes a priority during his introductory press conference in March. Only…
Recap & Takeaways: What was impressive in an otherwise sluggish first half? The Iowa men's basketball team jumped out to a big lead before cruising to a 29-point win over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday.
Recap: Iowa downs Chicago State, sets up battle of unbeatens against Ole Miss next week The Iowa men's basketball team continued its undefeated run to start the 2025-26 season with a 39-point win over Chicago State on Thursday.
Recap & Takeaways: What Cooper Koch’s dad told him before Iowa sophomore’s first double-double Iowa managed its second high major win of the season with a five-point victory over Ole Miss in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, Californ…
Recap & Takeaways: Michigan State hits brakes on Iowa's Ben McCollum hype train Michigan State put an end to Iowa's undefeated start to the 2025-26 men's basketball season with a 71-52 beatdown in the Breslin Center on Tue…
Recap & Takeaways: First-half three-point barrage sparks Iowa over Maryland The Iowa men's basketball team connected on each of its first six three-point attempts in a blowout win over Maryland.
Recap & Takeaways: What makes Tate Sage a special player for Iowa? Iowa's blowout win over Western Michigan provided Tate Sage another opportunity to showcase what makes him a special player for the Hawkeyes e…
What is the poison Ben McCollum wants Iowa to avoid as non-conference play ends? Iowa men's basketball head coach Ben McCollum's message to the Hawkeyes before a 91-51 rout of Western Michigan on Sunday was to avoid a speci…
Can Iowa men’s basketball change lopsided free throw numbers? With a minus-35 free throw differential in games against high major opponents, the Iowa men's basketball team cannot seem to get a favorable w…
Recap & Takeaways: Des Moines deserved better than Iowa’s blowout of Bucknell Iowa was originally scheduled to face Saint Louis, a top 25 team in the NET rankings, but new head coach Ben McCollum opted to face Bucknell i…
How one overtime win over Upper Iowa set Iowa head coach Ben McCollum on a path to success Before the 2016-17 season at Northwest Missouri State, Ben McCollum decided he was done settling for "good enough". Six months later, greatnes…
Watch: Iowa's Ben McCollum, Tavion Banks and Bennett Stirtz react to win over Northwestern Iowa head coach Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz and Alvaro Folgueiras discussed the Hawkeyes' matchup against USC following the one-point win on …
How will Iowa replace Bennett Stirtz after star guard’s lone season with Hawkeyes Iowa men's basketball coach Ben McCollum are open to anything in pursuing the "best available" player to replace Bennett Stirtz after the Libe…