ESPN's Dick Vitale stamps approval on Iowa men's basketball transfer portal talent
That is what Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball fans have been shouting all offseason as the program has done a complete facelift with the addition of new head coach Ben McCollum. His arrival at the Hawkeyes has given them a breath of fresh air with an injection of transfer portal talent.
One of those talents comes in the form of guard Bennett Stirtz, who is following McCollum from Drake to Iowa. The Hawkeyes landing Stirtz is arguably their biggest move of the offseason.
It is also a move that finds itself named of Dick Vitale's biggest winners of the offseason transfer portal heading into the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa Hawkeyes
Stirtz is a skilled combo guard with a silky arc shot and a knack for scoring around the rim. The Big Ten's a step up, but this kid's got the talent to adapt and excel in his first year with the Hawkeyes. In that motion offense, Stirtz will slice and dice Big Ten defenses like a Ginsu knife! - Dick Vitale, ESPN
Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Player of the Year last year, gives Iowa one of the top guards in the Big Ten, and possibly even the entire college basketball landscape, who can lift this team to an NCAA Tournament berth with some help from others.
Last year, Bennett Stirtz was a 49.8% shooter from the field and a 39.5% shooter from three-point range. He averaged 19.2 points per game to go with 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
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