After starring at Drake as a junior, guard Bennett Stirtz intends to follow head coach Ben McCollum from the Bulldogs to the Hawkeyes by transferring to Iowa for next season, Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register confirms. While the plan is for him to make the move to Iowa, Stirtz will also test the NBA draft waters this spring, he told Tachman.
Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game with a .498/.395/.794 shooting line in 2024/25 and led Drake to a first-round victory over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament last week. He’s currently the No. 35 prospect on ESPN’s big board, suggesting he’d have a good chance to get drafted if he decides to go pro this year.
ESPN’s No. 50 prospect, San Diego State guard Miles Byrd, is also declaring for the 2025 draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Instagram. Byrd became a full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore this season and put up 12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG in 30 outings.
Byrd has flashed impressive defensive tools but has struggled to score efficiently, making just 38.1% of his shots from the floor this season, including 30.1% of his three-pointers. He had just four points and committed three turnovers in the Aztecs’ First Four loss to UNC last week.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Ahead of the NCAA’s Sweet 16 round, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) have updated their list of 2025’s top 100 prospects and checked in on whose stock is on the rise (including Stirtz) and whose stock has dipped a little (including Byrd).
- After making the move this past year from The Ringer to Yahoo Sports, Kevin O’Connor has a new-look version of his annual big board and mock draft up for his new employer. After No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg, O’Connor has Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Derik Queen, and Khaman Maluach rounding out his top five.
- The following prospects are also declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, according to various reports or announcements:
- Keyshawn Hall, G/F, UCF (junior) (Twitter link via Givony)
- Kobe Knox, G, South Florida (junior) (Twitter link via Sam Kayser of League Ready)
- Nick Pringle, F, South Carolina (senior) (Twitter link via Joe Tipton of On3 Sports)
- Marquel Sutton, F, Omaha (senior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Field of 68)
Ace Bailey is so overrated. He just a AAU player who thinks he can go 1V1 every time down court. He has zero court vision, and when someone actually bodies him up(see Michigan State game) he plays soft. Whoever drafts him good luck
Have to say the few times I watched Rutgers. I wasn’t impressed by him or Harper. Great size and there is talent there. But the team did not impress. Not ready to give up on them. Lets see what they do in workouts.
for a team to have 2 players allegedly that talented, doesn’t the team have to win a little more than that..?
No one else wanted to play there when it’s a 2-man show.