The Iowa Hawkeyes have hired Ben McCollum as their new coach, marking the start of a fresh chapter in Iowa City. With several recent departures from the team, McCollum faces a significant challenge, but he may be able to strengthen the roster through the transfer portal.
Black Heart Gold Pants has speculated about a few potential Drake Bulldogs players who could join the Hawkeyes, as McCollum guided Drake to a 31-5 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance this past season.
The most notable name mentioned is guard Bennett Stirtz, who recently led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring.
“His abilities on full display in the tournament should help to ease concerns over McCollum’s ability to recruit,” Black Heart Gold Pants wrote. “Stirtz very clearly belongs, even getting some NBA buzz on Thursday, but was overlooked by D1 coaches out of high school.”
Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game this past season, while playing 39.4 minutes per game with shooting splits of 49.8/39.5/79.4.
He has been with McCollum throughout his entire collegiate career, starting at Northwest Missouri State before transferring to Drake after McCollum made the move there following his sophomore year.
Given their long-standing connection, it’s natural to wonder if the 6-foot-4 sharpshooter will follow McCollum again, especially now that he’s coaching at a Big Ten school.
Iowa has seen a significant portion of its roster depart to the transfer portal following Fran McCaffery’s firing, leaving McCollum to rebuild the team. He may try to bring Stirtz with him to Iowa to help fill the void.
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