IOWA CITY — Iowa basketball’s Bennett Stirtz has been invited to attend the 2026 NBA Draft.
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23-24 in Brooklyn.
After a stellar senior season at Iowa, Stirtz is projected to be a first-round pick. The Murray twins were the last two Hawkeyes to go in the first round. Keegan was the fourth overall pick in 2022 and Kris was the 23rd overall pick in 2023.
Stirtz is expected to join that list.
Stirtz was the centerpiece of Iowa’s offensive attack last season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.7% from the field, 35.8% from deep and 84.8% from the free throw line. Stirtz exploded for at least 32 points on three occasions last season, including a career-high 36 against Northwestern.
He was one of the poster children for the new era of Iowa men’s basketball under coach Ben McCollum. The Hawkeyes went on a thrilling NCAA Tournament run and made the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1987.
“Just the ups and downs and the struggles we went through,” Stirtz said at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, reflecting on last season. “When we were at rock bottom, when we were losing three straight games, we stuck together as a team. Everything’s not going to be sunshine and rainbows. You’ve got to go through the struggle. I think the struggle and suffering changes you. So just seeing what we’ve been through and what we made it to — close to our goal — I think that was super special. And then, the relationships that I had is something that I’ll never let go.”
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This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Iowa basketball’s Bennett Stirtz invited to attend 2026 NBA Draft
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
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By Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
