Bennett Stirtz’s rise from overlooked to NBA draft prospect
BENNETT HAD ZERO DIVISION ONE OFFERS COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS NAMED A FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN IN THE BIG TEN THIS SEASON. I CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO FIND OUT HOW HE GOT TO WHERE HE IS. I LOOK LIKE A NORMAL DUDE, SO IT’S NOT THAT BAD OUT IN PUBLIC. YOU DO LOOK LIKE A NORMAL DUDE. YOU WOULDN’T ANTICIPATE DROPPING 20 A GAME. YEAH, I’M NOT THAT TALL. LIKE IF I’M OUT WITH MY TEAMMATES, I’LL GET NOTICED A LITTLE BIT MORE. BENNETT STURTZ IS KNOWN BY THREE DIFFERENT FAN BASES. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE, DRAKE AND IOWA. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT THERE WAS THERE A MOMENT? OH, RIGHT. WHEN I STOOD ON CAMPUS, YOU KNOW, HE’S GETTING TARGETED EVERY GAME. YOU KNOW, AT DIVISION TWO HE WAS. AND AT DRAKE HE WAS IN THE BIG TEN. HE IS TOO. AND HE CONTINUES TO ANSWER ANY, ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE. THIS PAST AUGUST, IT WAS TIME FOR BENNETT TO START ASKING QUESTIONS. RATHER, ONE BIG QUESTION GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE. LUCKILY SHE SAID YES, THE RING DIDN’T FIT, BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS GOOD. IT’S TOO BIG. BENNETT PROPOSED TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART. YEAH, IT WAS LIKE ON AN OVERLOOK IN FRONT OF A LAKE AND SHE KNEW MY FAMILY WAS OUT THERE BECAUSE IT WAS OUR FAMILY VACATION. BUT I FLEW HER FAMILY OUT JUST TO SURPRISE HER. HE’S PRETTY LOW MAINTENANCE. I’M A SIMPLE DUDE. YEAH, PRETTY QUIET. WELL, HE’S QUIETLY EMERGED AS ONE OF THE TOP PROSPECTS IN THIS YEAR’S NBA DRAFT. I DIDN’T REALLY THINK I’D BE IN THE NBA IF I GET THERE. I DIDN’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL LAST YEAR AT DRAKE. SO IT WAS KIND OF A FAR, FAR AWAY DREAM. AND SEEING IT COME TO LIFE AND IT ALMOST BE THERE IS PRETTY SURREAL. FROM DIVISION TWO TO MID-MAJOR TO D-1, AND NOW A POTENTIAL PRO, YOU KNOW, HE DESERVES EVERYTHING. HE’S HE’S HE’S GOTTEN AND HE HASN’T BEEN GIVEN ANY OF IT. YOU KNOW, HE’S, HE’S EARNED EVERY OUNCE OF IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THIS LEVEL. HE’S MADE ALL THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND HE’S MADE ALL THE RIGHT DECISIONS BASED ON PEOPLE. AND HIS TEAMMATES DEFINITELY RESPECT HIM. BUT THEY DO KNOW THAT BENNETT STURTZ CANNOT JUST BE THE ONLY ONE PUTTING UP POINTS IN THIS BIG TEN TOURNAMENT. THEY KNOW THAT THEY DO HAVE TO HAVE HIS BACK. SO WE SAW GUYS LIKE COOPER, KOCH TAKING ON STEPHEN BAYNES CAMANCHE ALL STEP UP, WHICH WE DO EXPECT TO SEE LATER IN THIS TOURNAMENT. BENNETT SHIRTS DID HAVE 17 POINTS TODAY, PRETTY CLOSE TO HI
Bennett Stirtz’s rise from overlooked to NBA draft prospect
Updated: 10:18 AM CDT Mar 12, 2026
Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz has one wild journey. “I look like a normal dude out in public,” Stirtz said. Stirtz is known by fanbases at Northwest Missouri State, Drake, and Iowa, where he has faced pressure since stepping on campus.The senior has gone from Division II, to mid-major, to Division I and now a prospect in this year’s NBA draft.Through his unexpected rise in basketball, he’s still kept the big picture clear. KCCI’s Shannon Ehrhardt found out, he’s more than just basketball. » Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
CHICAGO —
Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz has one wild journey.
“I look like a normal dude out in public,” Stirtz said.
Stirtz is known by fanbases at Northwest Missouri State, Drake, and Iowa, where he has faced pressure since stepping on campus.
The senior has gone from Division II, to mid-major, to Division I and now a prospect in this year’s NBA draft.
Through his unexpected rise in basketball, he’s still kept the big picture clear.
KCCI’s Shannon Ehrhardt found out, he’s more than just basketball.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play