IOWA CITY, Iowa-- Ben McCollum is poised to have one of the best point guards in the nation with Bennett Stirtz. The senior guard has been loyal to McCollum throughout his college career and he decided to follow him to Iowa instead of go into the NBA Draft.
Stirtz brings a steady skill-set and a ton of consistency to the Hawkeyes. He could have gone early in the second round in this past draft and now several pundits are speculating that he could emerge as a lottery pick next season. CBS Sports is thinking the exact same way.
"Stirtz followed his coach, Ben McCollum, from Northwest Missouri State to Drake and then from Drake to Iowa," Cameron Salerno wrote. "The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year had a breakout season in his first year playing Division I basketball and gets a chance to showcase his skills at the high-major level. McCollum is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks, and Stirtz is poised for a big year. He's a knockdown shooter from outside and can score in a variety of ways."
He averaged 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He also shot 49.8 percent from the field, including 39.5 percent from three. Stirtz led the country in percent minutes played this past season, and also ranked in the top-75 in offensive rating, while also being ranked in terms of effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage.
Stirtz is expected to be the ironman of this team once again. He's likely going to play around 37-38 minutes a game, but they are hoping to get him more off the ball this season. Stirtz's IQ and pace are a couple things that set him apart. He never is forced to play at anyone else's tempo.
"That's my dude," Stirtz said of McCollum and why he stayed loyal to him. "He helps me out with so much. We've been through a lot together and it's going to be a fun last year with him."
"He's got an elite IQ. He's very athletic, he can shoot, pass, dribble, and do everything. Run the show, and in the NBA, there is more space on the floor, so he'll actually be more effective in the NBA. They actually call fouls, not that they actually don't call fouls in the college game, but they don't call fouls as much. I think he'll be even more effective at the higher level."
Stirtz had conversations with people about if he should enter the NBA Draft, but he never really paid attention to the speculation or his draft stock. He has confidence that he can play at the highest level, but the thought of helping McCollum build something special was something that lured him to Iowa.
Regardless, Stirtz has the potential to be the best point guard Iowa has had in the last 40 years.
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