Not himself recently, Iowa is banking on Bennett Stirtz to find his March magic.
Stirtz scored 17 points with eight assists and six rebounds for the Hawkeyes on Wednesday, including 13 points in the second half, to send Iowa (21-11) to a third-round Big Ten tournament matchup with eighth-seeded Ohio State (20-11) on Thursday in Chicago.
The Big Ten’s third-leading scorer in the regular season (20.2 points per game), Stirtz caught fire against Maryland after freshman Cooper Koch ignited the perimeter shooting for the Hawkeyes. Koch has at least five 3-pointers in three of his last four games.
Stirtz had 22 points in Iowa’s 74-57 win over Ohio State three weeks ago, but Iowa finished a rung beneath the Buckeyes in the conference standings. The Hawkeyes are the No. 9 seed and had a 10-10 record in the Big Ten entering the tournament; Ohio State was 12-8.
“It’s going to be a fight. They’re playing for their postseason, so are we,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said Wednesday afternoon.
McCollum and Stirtz got their first Big Ten tournament win on Wednesday. But the March mission is nothing new to the tandem, which arrived from Drake on the heels of a 31-win season. Before that, they were together at banner-heavy Northwest Missouri State. They won consecutive Division II national titles before the move to Drake.
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler believes the Buckeyes are hitting their stride at the right time.
“There’s a lot that’s going on that’s helped us play the way we are lately,” Diebler said. “A lot of that is getting healthy. That’s helped. What also has been probably the most important ingredient is the chemistry this team has. They have each other’s back. It’s a really close group.
“We’re peaking at the right time.”
The loss to Iowa in February appeared to be an awakening for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 3-0 since that game with an upset of then-No. 8 Purdue.
The Hawkeyes, who missed the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, aren’t taking anything for granted after the win. Iowa ended Ohio State’s season with a 77-70 win in the conference tournament last season, albeit with a vastly different roster and head coach.
This is the fourth consecutive year the teams are paired in the Big Ten tournament. Ohio State won in 2023 and 2024.
Three-time All-Big Ten pick Bruce Thornton became the Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer on Senior Night.
“He and I have had a lot of conversations about this season,” Diebler said of Thornton, who covets the March stage. “He was committed to having great joy this season. He has embraced the moment. He hasn’t made it about himself. And a lot of people would. I wish you guys could follow him around and see what he does. Because he’s earned this.
“I want it for him. I’ve wanted this for him in the worst way.”
Thornton leads Ohio State in scoring this season at 20.1 points per game along with averages of 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. John Mobley Jr. averages 15.9 points and leads the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (42.9).
