#14 Bennett Stirtz Season 2025-26

2025-26 Preseason Honors -- Wooden Award Preseason Player of the Year Watch List... Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List... Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Watch List... NABC Preseason National Player of the Year Watch List... named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List... second-team preseason All-American by CBS Sports, Field of 68 and Jon Rothstein... fourth-team preseason All-American by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook... honorable mention All-America by Jay Bilas... one of five players named to the preseason Blue Ribbon Yearbook All-Big Ten team... USA Today Network Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten... voted preseason All-Big Ten by league office... named the third-best point guard in the nation leading into the 2025-26 season by SI.com... rated as the 15th-best player in the country by ESPN.com.

2025-26 Honors -- Wooden Award Midseason Top 25... Sporting News third-team Midseason All-American... Acrisure Classic Most Valuable Player after averaging 21 points, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and making seven 3-pointers in wins over Ole Miss (11/25) and Grand Canyon (11/26)... played all 80 minutes in the two victories.  2025-26 -- Has been in double figures in 17 games with nine 20-point contests... has a team-high 95 assists and 27 steals... has 5+ assists in 12 games and 3+ steals in three games... hasn't committed a turnover in six contests... has played all 40 minutes six times this season... finished with a game-high 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting (3-of-5 3PT) and went 10-of-11 from free throw line in road win at Indiana (1/17)... also had five assists and three rebounds... had 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in win over Rutgers (1/20)... led all scorers with 19 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds at No. 5 Purdue (1/14)... finished with 21 points -- all in the second half -- at Minnesota (1/6)... scored game-high 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers and went 7-of-7 from free throw line in win over UCLA (1/3)... scored 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting (7-of-7 FT) and had eight assists in win over UMass Lowell (12/29)... netted 25 points (10-of-17 FG, 4-of-8 3PT) in B1G win over Maryland (12/6)... scored 29 points on 9-of-20 shooting with six 3-pointers in the win over Ole Miss (11/25)... had 13 points, five assists, three steals vs. Grand Canyon (11/26) in Acrisure title game... had 15 points, nine assists and zero turnovers against SEMO (11/18)... finished with 21 points (7-of-13 FG, 7-8 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and two steals against Xavier (11/14)... scored 24 points (7-of-11 shooting, 4-of-7 3PT) to go along with seven assists (zero turnovers) and two steals against Western Illinois (11/7)... finished with 19 points, six assists and four steals in Iowa debut against Robert Morris (11/4).

CAREER BESTS
Points: 30, 2X, last at Southern Illinois, 2/1/25
Rebounds: 10 at UNI, 2/23/25
FGM: 12 at UIC, 1/1/25
FGA: 21, 2X, last vs. Rutgers, 1/20/26
3-pt FG: 6, 2X, last vs. Ole Miss, 11/25/25
3-pt FGA: 12 vs. Southwest Minnesota State, 11/11/23
FTM: 13 at Lincoln (Mo.), 1/27/24
FTA: 13 at Lincoln (Mo.), 1/27/24
Assists: 12 at UIC, 1/1/25
Steals: 5 vs. Murray State, 1/5/25
Blocks: 3 vs. Pittsburg State, 3/10/24
Minutes: 45, 5X, last vs. Missouri State, 3/2/25

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT STIRZ

“You know what I think of Bennett Stirtz. I’ll take Bennett Stirtz, whatever team he is on because I don’t think there are guys like him. I think he is one of one as a point guard this season. His size, his ability to shoot it, his ability to make people better, his DNA. The fact he is about the absolute right things in college basketball.

“If people haven’t seen this kid. He is a consummate point guard that makes the right decision and can do a little bit of everything. He knows how to play at the highest level of basketball IQ.”

Jeff Goodman, Field of 68 basketball analyst 

"Bennett Stirz is more valuable to his team than any other player in America."

Jon Rothstein, College Basketball Insider/CBS Sports

"I saw him play last year on tv and in clips. Being able to see him live today (vs. Ole Miss), I was impressed with his floor command.  Nothing phased him, nothing bothered him. He played at his own pace. Point guards that play at their own pace, they are different. He has that differentness about him that you don’t see too often at the college level."

Dan Dickau, CBS Sports college basketball analyst 

"Bennett Stirtz, he's a good player, he's real.  That shows everybody that the rankings and all that stuff... this guy went to a Division II school out of high school... that's amazing.  This guy is going to be a first round pick in the NBA.  If you're good, you're good."

Matt Painter, Purdue head coach

2024-25 Honors at Drake -- Field of 68 first-team All-America... Andy Katz third-team All-America... Associated Press honorable mention All-America... USBWA honorable mention All-America... NABC All-Central District first team... finalist for Lou Henson Award for top mid-major player... finalist for Riley Wallace Award as most impactful transfer... MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year... MVC Newcomer of the Year... MVC Tournament Doug Elgin Outstanding Player... first-team All-MVC selection... All-MVC Newcomer team... MVP Charleston Classic.... MVC Player of the Week (Nov. 25, Jan. 27, Feb. 24)... MVC Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 3, Feb. 10).... preseason All-MVC third team.  2024-25 -- Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player Of the Year & MVC Newcomer of Year after leading league in scoring (19.2 avg.), steals (2.21 avg.) and assist/turnover ration (2.86), while ranking second in assists (5.7 avg.)… led NCAA in minutes played per game (39:22)… became first player in MVC history ever to achieve 600 points (673), 200 assists (200) and 70 steals (712) in a season — also was only player in NCAA in 2024-25 to record that feat… tied Drake NCAA Tournament record for most career 20-plus scoring games after netting 21 against Missouri and Texas Tech... named outstanding player in MVC Tournament after averaging 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals in three games, including back-to-back 24-point contests in semifinal and championship games, matching season-high with five treys in title game… had MVC league-high 20 20+ scoring games… recorded 11 double-doubles… scored in double figures in 33 of 35 games, totaling 20-plus points in 12 of his last 15 games... joined legendary Oscar Robertson as only players in MVC history to collect 30 points and 12-plus assists in a game when he went for 30 points and had 12 assists at UIC… also one of two players in NCAA to achieve that feat this season… first player in Drake history to collect 600-plus points and 200 assists in same season… ranked No. 2 on Drake's single-season assist list (200) and No. 4 on school's single-season scoring list at 673... honored as MVC Player of Week after averaging 18 points, 7.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds to be named tournament MVP of Charleston Classic… had 22 points vs. Kansas State, including eight of team’s 10 points in overtime, making game-winning shot with 3.5 seconds left… had 30 points, five assists, four rebounds at Southern Illinois… collected 26 points and 10 rebounds in overtime win at UNI, making season-high five 3-point field goals.

At Northwest Missouri State (2021-22; 2022-23) -- Two-time second-team all-league selection… named 2022-23 MIAA Freshman of the Year, while averaging 12.6 points, while recording most steals by any NCAA Division II freshman (65)... had 27 starts while leading league in field goal percentage (.601) and assist-to-turnover radio (2.28)… ranked No. 16 in nation in steals (65)… named to MIAA All-Tournament team after leading Bearcats to title… as a sophomore in 2023-24 started all 34 games, ranking second on team in scoring (15.2) while being named to Central Region All-Tournament team… had 11 20-point scoring games…scored a career-high 29 points vs. Southwest Minnesota State… played 40 or more minutes on eight occasions… had 25 points and a season-high eight assists in MIAA Tournament title game vs. Pittsburg State.

High School -- Two-time Missouri Class 6 all-state selection at Liberty High School… averaged 18.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals as senior, leading team to 25-3 record... named Suburban Gold Conference Player of Year… led Liberty to a second-place finish in 2021 Missouri Class 6 state championship… high school coach was his father, Roger.

Personal -- Born Oct. 3, 2003... son of Roger and Renee Stirtz... has three siblings, Mason, Caden and Cooper... father played collegiately at Emporia State, mother ran track at Kansas State... majoring in interdepartmental studies.