We don’t see many elite draft prospects quite like Bennett Stirtz, who transferred to Iowa after starring at Drake and the Division II level previously. He plays nearly all of his team’s minutes and Iowa’s offense runs through him at an extremely low pace. Despite his age and some playstyle questions, Stirtz is undeniably special in key areas. How will NBA teams value him in the 2026 NBA Draft?
Click here to read our latest mock draft and big board for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Bennett Stirtz — Point Guard, Iowa (22.7 years old)
Bennett Stirtz Scouting Report & NBA Comparison
- Offensive role: Pick-and-Roll Initiator/Secondary Playmaker
- Defensive role: Off-Ball Helper/Hidden
Stirtz’s singular college profile and unique blend of skills and athletic traits make him the most challenging player for me to find satisfying comparisons for in this class. Any shades I can come up with or have seen at the moment feel far too lofty (Tyrese Haliburton) or underselling his offensive upside (Tyus Jones), so we’ll leave this blank for now and hope something crystallizes as the season progresses.
NBA Comparison: ???
Strengths
- Brilliant player with next-level feel with and without the ball, processing and court awareness with the ball, pick-and-roll decision-making savant
- Threatening on-and-off dribble shooter with a lethal stepback and a quick trigger to fire shots from awkward platforms and against contest from beyond NBA range
- Capable of trying and converting any kind of pass in tight windows, exceptional passer on the move with his weak hand and an especially spectacular pocket passer
- Quick first-step, craft and excellent touch let him pressure the basket and score efficiently around the rim despite limited vertical athleticism and size
- Well-positioned off-ball defender, solid rotational instincts and quick hands to create loose balls
- All-time conditioning and stamina allows him to carry his team’s offense for entire games, third in NCAA career minute share since 2008 (93.6%)
Weaknesses
- Extremely weak on-ball defender lacking functional strength, length or lateral quickness to bump and mirror dangerous scorers
- Struggles to chase through screens without much lower body/core strength or flexibility to bend around picks
- Lacks high-end explosiveness and athletic juice to separate and drive downhill from strong defenders without screens/off-ball movement
- Stiffness and struggles with ball control against bumps limit on-ball potential, especially against switches
2026 NBA Draft Projection: Round 1, Pick 7-11
Older guards rarely leave the board in the lottery — only five have done so since 2008. Stirtz could join that group, though, as his elite feel for the game and scoring touch can translate to NBA hoops, even if it will look vastly different than his college game. While he lacks the creation and defensive chops to project true star value, betting on outliers who don’t fit into conventional molds like him often delivers huge draft steals.
