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Bennett Stirtz named to Naismith Trophy Watch List

On3 imageby: Tom Kakert16 hours agoHawkeyeReport
Bennett Stirtz
We get a look at Bennett Stirtz and the Hawkeyes at practice. (Photo: Dennis Scheidt)

University of Iowa senior Bennett Stirtz has been named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time, it was announced Monday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club/Naismith Awards.

It is the second preseason Player of the Year preseason nod for Stirtz as he was named to the NABC watch list on Friday.

The Liberty, Missouri, native has also been named a preseason All-American by CBS Sports (second team), Field of 68 (second team), Jon Rothstein (second team), Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook (fourth team) and Jay Bilas (honorable mention).  He is also on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List.

Stirtz, who is in his first season as a Hawkeye, was an All-American by three outlets during the 2024-25 season at Drake.  He was also tabbed as the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year.

He led the MVC in scoring (19.2), steals (2.21) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.86), while ranking second in assists (5.7).  He also led the NCAA in minutes played, averaging 39:22 per game.

Stirtz is one of 13 players from the Big Ten Conference on the list, along with Oregon’s Nate Bittle, Wisconsin’s John Blackwell, UCLA’s Donovan Dent, Indiana’s Tucker DeVries, Illinois’ Ivisic Tomislav, Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad, Purdue’s Braden Smith, Illinois’ Andrej Stojakovic and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton.

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