Bennett Stirtz Shares Faith in Sweet 16 Run

Bennett Stirtz, a local basketball player who starred at Liberty High School, is sharing his faith as he leads Iowa into the Sweet 16. Last weekend, on one of college basketball’s biggest stages, Stirtz pointed attention to God after helping the Hawkeyes pull off a stunning NCAA tournament win.

“Win or lose, give glory to God,” Stirtz told TBS after the game. “He gave me a platform. I just want to go use it for him.”

Stirtz scored 13 points and added five assists as the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes defeated top-seeded Florida, 73-72, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. He created the game-winning play in the final moments, racing past Florida defenders with Iowa trailing 72-70 before passing to teammate Alvaro Folgueiras, who knocked down a three-point shot with four seconds left.

“Win or lose, give glory to God. He gave me a platform, I just wanna go use it for Him.”
– Iowa G Bennett Stirtz after there upset win over defending champion Florida pic.twitter.com/9VQyqJM3Aj

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) March 23, 2026

He earned first-team Big Ten honors in March after averaging 20.2 points, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He began his college career at Northwest Missouri State, where he played two seasons before transferring to Drake and guiding the Bulldogs to an NCAA appearance and first-round victory in 2024-25. At each stop, he followed coach Ben McCollum, who started at Northwest Missouri before taking jobs at Drake and then Iowa.

Stirtz said his faith deepened after he moved away from home and began attending school at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

“That’s really where my faith and my relationship with Jesus just started to strengthen, because I went to him every day,” he said. “In high school, to be honest, I didn’t really do that. I just started getting in the word every day.”

He told Sports Spectrum that he turned down more NIL money from other schools to stay at Iowa.

“Money is never going to satisfy you,” he said. “Fame will never satisfy you. Nothing in this world is going to satisfy you except for God.”

Although Stirtz has developed into an NBA prospect, his father and high school coach told Sports Spectrum that his character and foundation have remained unchanged.

“He’s had one girlfriend in his life,” Roger Stirtz said. “He’s driven one vehicle in his life, “He’s extremely loyal. It might not look like you’re loyal when you go to three different schools in your college career, but he’s committed to a coach and a system.”

–Alan Goforth