Bennett Stirtz leads Iowa into NCAA Tournament matchup with Clemson

Stirtz, an honorable mention All-American, looks to guide the Hawkeyes to an opening-round upset over the Tigers.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 9:25pm

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Bennett Stirtz, a standout point guard who previously led Drake to an NCAA Tournament upset, is now at Iowa and trying to steer the No. 9 seed Hawkeyes on a surprise run in this year's Big Dance. Iowa faces No. 8 seed Clemson in the first round of the South region on Friday night in Tampa, Florida.

Why it matters

Stirtz has emerged as one of the most intriguing players in this year's NCAA Tournament after his heroics with Drake last season. His ability to lead an underdog team on a deep tournament run could captivate fans and make him a household name. The matchup with Clemson also features two teams looking to bounce back from recent struggles, adding intrigue to the opening-round clash.

The details

Stirtz, an honorable mention All-American, is averaging team-highs of 20.0 points and 4.5 assists for Iowa, while also knocking down 82 3-pointers. He followed his coach, Ben McCollum, from Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State to Drake, where he was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Stirtz then reunited with McCollum again when the coach took the Iowa job. The Hawkeyes enter the tournament having lost seven of their last 10 games. Clemson, meanwhile, suffered a major blow when 6-foot-10 forward Carter Welling, the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder, suffered a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament.

  • The Iowa-Clemson first-round matchup is scheduled for Friday night in Tampa, Florida.
  • Stirtz was named an honorable mention All-American on Tuesday.

The players

Bennett Stirtz

A standout point guard who previously led Drake to an NCAA Tournament upset and is now trying to guide the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes on a surprise run in this year's Big Dance.

Ben McCollum

The head coach who recruited Stirtz to Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State and then followed him to Drake and now Iowa.

Tavion Banks

The only other Iowa player scoring in double digits, averaging 10.5 points per game and leading the team in rebounding with 4.7 per contest.

Carter Welling

The 6-foot-10 Clemson forward who suffered a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament, dealing a major blow to the Tigers as he was the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder.

RJ Godfrey

Clemson's leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points per game, who offered a brief scouting report on the Hawkeyes.

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What they’re saying

“Stick together as a team, and if we do that, we'll rebound a lot better, get back in transition, and really guard. I think our defense relies a lot on whether we win or lose a game, and it definitely has to travel to Tampa.”

— Bennett Stirtz, Iowa point guard

“You score enough to make sure you can set your defense, and hopefully that shows up in the tournament.”

— Ben McCollum, Iowa head coach

“We've had a lot of adversity. This was a really good regular season. To finish tied for fourth in the ACC and to make the ACC tournament semifinals is a good accomplishment.”

— Brad Brownell, Clemson head coach

“They're a good team. They move the ball well and play good defense. We're not too familiar with them.”

— RJ Godfrey, Clemson leading scorer

What’s next

The winner of the Iowa-Clemson matchup will advance to face the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Alabama and No. 16 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the second round of the South region.

The takeaway

Bennett Stirtz's journey from a little-recruited high school player to a standout at the Division I level has captivated college basketball fans, and his ability to lead an underdog team on a deep NCAA Tournament run could cement his status as one of the most intriguing players in this year's Big Dance.