Bennett Stirtz just got picked No. 16 in the 2026 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his college journey is wild, like something ripped straight out of an NBA 2K MyCareer storyline. This dude went from playing D-II ball to being a borderline lottery pick, and that’s the kind of story that gets you hyped, no matter what colors you bleed.
The Unbelievable Ride From Overlooked to OKC’s Latest Swing
Sam Presti, the Thunder’s main man, always finds a way to go against the grain, right? He’s been building one of the best developmental teams in the league for almost two decades by taking chances on prospects nobody else saw. Stirtz is his latest gamble, and man, what a ride this kid has had. He spent two years at D-II’s Northwest Missouri State, then made the jump to Drake for a year, and *then* finally exploded in his senior year at Iowa to get on the NBA radar. Dwyane Wade even chronicled this “Disney-esque” journey in an episode of ‘THE CALL: HOOPERS’, showing the whole draft experience. Think about it: only a handful of players in NBA history, guys like Walt Frazier and Derrick White, have gone from D-II to a first-round pick. Stirtz himself said in the documentary, “I was Division II two years ago, so I wasn’t highly recruited. I was pretty overlooked. So, something that I will always carry with me is just this chip on my shoulder.” That’s the kind of fire you want to see in a rookie.
A Game Built for the Next Level, Backed by a Coach’s Belief
This isn’t just a feel-good story, either. Stirtz can flat-out play. He was the top scorer on every college team he suited up for, showing he can handle a serious blue-collar workload, carrying an entire offense. He can get to the rim or pull up from deep. You see that on tape and you know why a title contender like OKC would snag him as a first-day contributor. A huge part of his success is tied to his college coach, Ben McCollum. They were inseparable for four years, dominating together at Northwest Missouri State, Drake, and Iowa. McCollum is hyped for Stirtz’s NBA future, believing he has the talent and makeup to be another in a long line of successful Thunder role players. He thinks Stirtz gets to relax a bit now, enjoy being a complementary piece instead of the main guy, getting “spoon-fed easy looks.” McCollum’s quote says it all: “I think he’s ready to play. So, wherever he gets drafted, he’s ready to go.” Stirtz’s professionalism? Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault raved about it. The best example? He rolled his ankle one night in a preseason back-to-back and then gutted through it the very next game. That’s a guy you want on your squad.
The Thunder said goodbye to a bunch of role players this past summer due to financial moves. They’re banking on Stirtz to pick up where guys like Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins left off, becoming their next designated bucket-getter off the bench. He’s coming into a situation where he’s needed, with a clear path to contribute right away. This D-II story is just getting started, and he’s got that chip ready to show the league what it missed.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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