Bennett Stirtz chasing March magic as Iowa, Clemson open NCAA Tournament

Bennett Stirtz made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament last season when he led Drake to a first-round upset of Missouri.

Now at Iowa, Stirtz tries to steer the No. 9 seed Hawkeyes on a surprise run, beginning with Friday night's first-round South region matchup against No. 8 Clemson at Tampa, Fla.

Stirtz was named an honorable mention All-American on Tuesday, the latest accomplishment of a dream-like career. He's averaging team-best figures of 20.0 points and 4.5 assists as well as 82 3-pointers for the Hawkeyes (21-12).