Latest news with #MissouriValleyPlayeroftheYear
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN's Dick Vitale stamps approval on Iowa men's basketball transfer portal talent
It's awesome, baby! 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
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa basketball transfer portal visitor commits to South Florida
Iowa basketball transfer portal visitor commits to South Florida The Iowa Hawkeyes were in the mix for one of the top Division II guards in the transfer portal. Former Lincoln Memorial guard Wes Enis included Iowa basketball among his six finalists. Iowa joined Minnesota, West Virginia, NC State, DePaul and South Florida among Enis' finalists. A native of Conover, Ohio, Enis visited Iowa last week. But, On3's Joe Tipton broke the news that Enis had opted for South Florida, committing to the Bulls on Thursday evening. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 44.9% from the field, 41.1% from 3-point range and 84.6% from the free-throw line last season with the Railsplitters. As first-year head coach Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes look to completely retool their roster, Iowa has already landed a series of guards. That group includes Drake transfer guards Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs and Isaia Howard along with Kansas State transfer guard Brendan Hausen. Stirtz earned Missouri Valley Player of the Year honors after averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 39.5% from deep. Combs averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1% from the field and 80.0% from the free-throw line, while Howard averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game on 43.5% shooting from the field and 31.1% marksmanship from 3-point range. Hausen was one of the nation's top 3-point shooters last year, knocking down 90 from beyond the arc last season to rank fifth in the Big 12. The Amarillo, Texas, product averaged 10.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.0% from the field, 38.8% from 3-point range and 81.8% from the free-throw line. Of his 277 field goal attempts last season, 232 came from beyond the arc. Iowa has also added Drake transfer forwards Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu and saw forward Cooper Koch withdraw his name from the transfer portal and opt for a return to Iowa City. 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 Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Iowa basketball forward Owen Freeman reveals Creighton transfer
After entering the transfer portal on March 15, former Iowa basketball star Owen Freeman has revealed his new destination. According to On3's Joe Tipton, Freeman is joining the Creighton Bluejays for his final two seasons of eligibility. The 6-foot-10, 245 pound forward led Iowa in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (6.7) per game. Freeman also averaged 1.8 blocks and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 63.8% from the field and 60.0% from the free throw line. Though he only played in 19 games before a season-ending injury to his finger that required surgery, Freeman scored in double-figures in all 19 games and tallied a trio of double-doubles. On3 ranked Freeman as the nation's No. 8 player in the transfer portal and as the top center. Freeman ends his Iowa career with 53 games played and 44 starts. The Moline, Ill., product scored 680 points, grabbed 353 rebounds, blocked 96 shots, dished out 65 assists and came away with 44 steals. Advertisement As new Iowa head basketball coach Ben McCollum takes over and looks to begin retooling the Hawkeyes' roster, one big domino has already fallen in Iowa's favor. The top-ranked player in the transfer portal, point guard Bennett Stirtz, is following McCollum to Iowa. Under McCollum's direction at Drake, Stirtz averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game en route to Missouri Valley Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-4 point guard scored 21 points and registered four assists in Drake's first-round NCAA Tournament win over No. 6 seed Missouri. This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa basketball forward Owen Freeman reveals Creighton transfer
USA Today
27-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Iowa basketball forward Owen Freeman reveals Creighton transfer
Former Iowa basketball forward Owen Freeman reveals Creighton transfer NEWS: Iowa transfer Owen Freeman, the top-ranked center in the portal, has committed to Creighton, he told @On3sports. The 6-10 sophomore averaged 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this season. — Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 26, 2025 After entering the transfer portal on March 15, former Iowa basketball star Owen Freeman has revealed his new destination. According to On3's Joe Tipton, Freeman is joining the Creighton Bluejays for his final two seasons of eligibility. The 6-foot-10, 245 pound forward led Iowa in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (6.7) per game. Freeman also averaged 1.8 blocks and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 63.8% from the field and 60.0% from the free throw line. Though he only played in 19 games before a season-ending injury to his finger that required surgery, Freeman scored in double-figures in all 19 games and tallied a trio of double-doubles. On3 ranked Freeman as the nation's No. 8 player in the transfer portal and as the top center. Freeman ends his Iowa career with 53 games played and 44 starts. The Moline, Ill., product scored 680 points, grabbed 353 rebounds, blocked 96 shots, dished out 65 assists and came away with 44 steals. As new Iowa head basketball coach Ben McCollum takes over and looks to begin retooling the Hawkeyes' roster, one big domino has already fallen in Iowa's favor. The top-ranked player in the transfer portal, point guard Bennett Stirtz, is following McCollum to Iowa. Under McCollum's direction at Drake, Stirtz averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game en route to Missouri Valley Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-4 point guard scored 21 points and registered four assists in Drake's first-round NCAA Tournament win over No. 6 seed Missouri.
Reuters
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Indiana hires West Virginia's Darian DeVries as coach
March 18 - Indiana named Darian DeVries its next head basketball coach on Tuesday, selecting the highly-regarded coach of West Virginia as it tries to restore the program into a national contender. DeVries, 49, spent one season coaching the Mountaineers after a strong six-year stint at Drake. Indiana announced in February that coach Mike Woodson would step down at the end of the Hoosiers' season after four seasons in the role. Indiana went 82-53 in Woodson's tenure and missed the past two NCAA Tournaments. DeVries was born and raised in Iowa and was thought to be a candidate for the Hawkeyes' opening, but he expressed high regard for the Hoosiers in a statement Tuesday. "This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America," DeVries said. "As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I've always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition and fan support. There's a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that's a desire that as a coach I share. "On top of that, the alignment is there on a department and university level to make that happen. I'm excited for this opportunity and am ready to work relentlessly to assemble a staff and a roster that competes for championships." In his lone season at West Virginia, DeVries coached the team to a 19-13 record featuring surprise wins over Gonzaga, Kansas and Iowa State. It was a shock to many that the Mountaineers were listed as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament field (Indiana was the second team out). DeVries took over in Morgantown after leading Drake to six straight 20-win seasons, including two Missouri Valley tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament bids in his last four years there. As a Division I head coach, DeVries is 169-68. "We went into this coaching search with some very specific things we were looking for in our next head coach, and Darian emerged as someone who, on paper, met and often exceeded our criteria," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. "Once we had a chance to talk to him, we knew we had the right person. "Darian has a plan for building a championship culture that can compete at the highest level on a year-in, year-out basis. He has extensive D-1 coaching experience that includes 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach or as an assistant. ... We are excited to welcome Darian and the entire DeVries family to our Hoosier family." Tucker DeVries, son of the coach, is expected to follow his father to Indiana. Tucker DeVries' season was cut short at West Virginia due to a shoulder injury. He was a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year at Drake before following his dad to West Virginia.
