The Stats That Show Just How Special Bennett Stirtz Was This Year

One of the toughest things about Iowa losing to Illinois in the Elite Eight, was knowing that it was the last time fans would see Bennett Stirtz in an Iowa uniform. The senior point guard helped lead the Hawkeyes on a historic run in this year's NCAA Tournament, and put up some eye-popping numbers in the process.

Stirtz Has a Record Year at University of Iowa

The Des Moines Register reports that Bennett Stirtz scored a total of 2,352 points during his college career. Last year at Drake, he scored 673. He topped that during his one year at Iowa with 734. The Register reports that puts Stirtz in some elite company. His senior year point total ranks him fourth in Iowa history behind Keegan Murray's 822 in 2021-22, and Luka Garza with 747 and 740 the two years before that. Stirtz played 140 games in his college career. He started the final 133 in a row.

Stirtz Simply Never Came Out of a Game

When you're the point guard in Ben McCollum's offense, you're on the court a lot. With Stirtz, that is a bit of an understatement. This season, Stirtz averaged 37.7 minutes per game. He played the entire 40 minutes in several contests this season, and a 45 minute game that went to overtime. And then there was the NCAA Tournament. The Register reports that Stirtz played 159:32 of a possible 160 minutes for the Hawkeyes. He simply never left the court. Oh, and he only comitted two turnovers the entire tournmanet!

A Future in the NBA is Next

Stirtz will no doubt play in the NBA. Most experts see him as a mid to late first round draft pick. Not bad for a kid that started off in Division 2 basketball in Missouri. But he followed Ben McCollum and had success at every stop. His lone Iowa season will be one to remember for years.