Special bond is clear between Iowa basketball's Bennett Stirtz, Ben McCollum
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Video: Tavion Banks reflects on path to Iowa basketball Tavion Banks meets with media on March 3, 2026. IOWA CITY — As he tried to close a recruitment that would end up changing their lives, Ben McCollum went old-school. By his own estimation, only about 20 times in his coaching career has McCollum handwritten letters to recruits. Bennett Stirtz was one of them. McCollum, then the head coach at Northwest Missouri State, was trying to land Stirtz, a player who had slipped through the cracks in the high school recruiting process. McCollum felt like he needed to do something to put Northwest Missouri State over the edge. “Choosing NW allows you to play for coaches who have proven through their...