Iowa Guard Lands Preseason All-B1G Nod

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI | By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Much excitement is palpable around Iowa City as the black and gold faithful wait for November, wherein a new era dawns on the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball program. After well over a decade with their previous helmsman, Iowa opted for a fresh suit and tie this offseason in the form of Ben McCollum.

McCollum, the first-year head coach, just led the Drake Bulldogs to both a league championship in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and a subsequently awarded 11th-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs, therein, would go on to upset the #6 Missouri Tigers in the first round, to boot.

It's hard not to be thrilled with a coach of that stature coming over for your program, but better yet, he didn't come alone. In his journey just down the road, McCollum brought with him star-guard Bennett Stirtz; the now-senior led the Bulldogs in scoring last season with 19.2 per game, averaging 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists, additionally.

It's therefore no surprise that Stirtz is expected to lead the Hawkeyes' newly rebooted charge during the 2025-26 season, and the rest of the conference knows it. As a result, Stirtz was officially named to the preseason All-B1G team.

The honor was announced by the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball account on X (Twitter) at the beginning of the week:

Another preseason nod.

Preseason All-B1G for Stirtz pic.twitter.com/hiaya2SIr1
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) October 7, 2025

Stirtz is the only Hawkeye on McCollum's new team to be awarded the appealing honor, despite him being far from the lone expected contributor on the roster. He isn't a stranger to awards, either, as last season alone, Stirtz brought home the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, a slot on the First-Team All-MVC and was named the MVC Tournament MVP on the way to the Bulldogs's aforementioned conference title.

Even so, in his move to an objectively more competitive conference in the B1G, this preseason nod stands uniquely alone amongst the hardware he's already earned.

Going into the season, Stirtz will likely be a favorite to end up on the eventual, final All-B1G roster in some shape or form, too. With now less than a month to go before the new team tips off, fans won't have to wait long to see their leading guard and the rest of McCollum's roster in action.

It's a thrilling, fresh time for men's basketball in Iowa City, and Bennett Stirtz is at the forefront of the developing basketball regime.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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