Video: Bennett Stirtz explains why he followed Ben McCollum to Iowa
Iowa basketball’s Bennett Stirtz meets with the media on June 24, 2025.
New Iowa men’s basketball star Bennett Stirtz announced another milestone on Thursday, Aug. 7.
Stirtz, who transferred to the Hawkeyes from Drake alongside first-year coach Ben McCollum this offseason, announced his engagement to Taygen Brown via Instagram.
Stirtz is projected to be one of the top players in college basketball this season, as he was a five-star transfer portal recruit, tabbed as the No. 3 player available nationally. The 6-foot-4 guard from Liberty, Missouri, averaged 19.4 points with 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game last season in his first year at the Division I level.
Stirtz is now at his third different school, as he has followed McCollum to each of the new Iowa coach’s last two stops. Stirtz started his career at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II program, where McCollum coached from 2009-2024.
Brown and Stirtz both attended Liberty High School together in Missouri. She was a cheerleader at Kansas State last year.
Stirtz is projected by numerous experts to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He’s expected to lead an Iowa squad that is capable of competing in the Big Ten and getting back to the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa has a near-completely different roster ahead of the 2025-26 season, adding eight transfers – six from Drake – and three freshman signees.