McCollum Madness
How Iowa's Bennett Stirtz and Alvaro Folguieras are revolutionizing the Big Ten
Iowa landed the two best transfers in the country. The elite Mid-Major duo of 6’5 guard Bennett Stirtz from Drake and 6’10 forward Alvaro Folgueiras from Robert Morris. I couldn’t be more excited. This is a special 2-man game we’re about to witness. The Hawkeyes will rely heavily on these two on both ends, and they have the priors to be successful.
Bennett Stirtz:
Plus-level positional size and an extremely versatile skillset are the easiest ways to describe Stirtz. Not a particularly fast or explosive athlete, he makes up for it with insane balance and pace. Bennett just knows how to create an advantage and separation. He has go-to moves using every dribble in the book (though not a BTB guy). Bennett also has a really good shoulder bump and step-back. Stirtz has shown he’s capable of changing direction on drives with various pick-ups and crafty finishes, too. With his ambidextrous finishing and great balance, it’s no wonder he’s a great finisher. His handle is advanced for his size, and he has some real creativity (one-legged three in p5 matchup). The relocation ability is NBA-level already. He is constantly changing spot-up angles on the floor and creating impossible close-outs for the defense. The shooting touch is NBA-level as well, and he’s a great shooter. Spot-up, movement, off-the-dribble, he has them all. The form is good, and he doesn’t have any trouble shooting from deep range or getting into mid-range pull-ups. He tortures defenses with his playmaking, too, as you can’t load up on him at all. He can make any read on the floor from any action; he’s truly a special guard. I don’t want to say he has an elite IQ and feel for the game, but it’s definitely elite for college. There might be some coping soon, NBA Draft-wise, for the aesthetic hunters.
Defensively, he is legitimately a positive and is hard to attack with less-than-stellar scorers. He uses his positional size, extremely high IQ, and quick hands to the best of their ability. He isn’t some supreme game-breaking athlete that’s guarding a bunch of positions. That being said, he’s shown the ability to guard the 1-3 at a reasonable level and makes plenty of plays with his hands and IQ. His positioning is a clear plus, and he is a reliable gap defender with some weak-side rotation understanding.
This isn’t a Stirtz scouting report, though, so I’ll try to get to the point. I’m not too sure there’s a guard in the Big 10 or even the country that can stop Bennett Stirtz. He’s a year older with a ridiculous amount of High-Major reps under his belt. I expect another great season.
Alvaro Folgueiras
I may have rambled about Stirtz too much, but young Alvaro is pretty much the same level. There really wasn’t another mid-major forward like him, and there definitely weren’t any underclassmen. Folgueiras was special last year and expect him to continue to impress this year for Iowa. Pretty much every box is checked on offense. Alvaro is a great 3-level scorer and shooter, showing the rare big-man ability of hitting spot-ups and movement threes with ease. He’s a menace in the post too, showing a real bag of tricks with hooks, spins, bumps, fades, and drop-steps. Guards can’t switch on him, and most big guys are entirely too slow. Alvaro has a sick first step to be 6’10 230 lbs. Close-outs on Alvaro rarely go well for bigs, as he’s turning them around, bumping them, and creating way too much of an advantage. His feel for the game/IQ might somehow be his best trait. It seemed as if he had basketball figured out at 19 years old in the Mid-Major ranks of D1 basketball. There wasn’t a read that couldn’t be made for a big forward. Weak-side skips, interior passes, no looks, full-court transition passes; his passing knows no bounds. He is also an absolute headache for the defense on the boards. Great timing and feel made him one of the best offensive rebounders in his conference.
On defense, he is arguably just as skilled. Not a great leaper, but jumps very fast and moves fluidly for his size. The fluidity is plus-level, and the college rules made him a real viable rim protector as a 19-year-old, especially on the weak side. He can also guard the perimeter plenty and makes plays with his size, IQ, quick hands, and lateral quickness. He jumps lanes, plays in drop, and slides with perimeter guys. He has shown legitimate versatility and should give the Hawkeyes a real weapon. His defensive rebounding is another great skill of his that he uses to end 1-on-1 situations and possessions.
Production
I can buzzword you all day long, but the production of these two is what ultimately gives me so much confidence in their translation to the Big 10. Bear with me (or don’t ).
Comps
Here are some Cerebro filters using their metrics: 2023-2024, 6’6” or shorter, at least 80 PSP (Pure Scoring Prowess), at least 80 DSI (Defensive Statistical Impact).
This is the same filter but for the 2024-2025 season.
I used these filters to get a slight peak at the production Bennett could have. The transfers on that short list ended up hitting for the most part. What stood out to me is that efficient shooting and great shooting touch seem to always translate to higher levels. TO aversion and feel obviously translate well too.
This is a Bart filter of all 6’6 or shorter High-Major players sorted by BPM.
This one has the same requirements, but for transfers after the 2023-2024 season.
Using BPM, I found some similar players to Stirtz. BPM makes his case even more bulletproof. Stirtz finished his 2025 season at Drake with a 10.0 BPM, eviscerating any like-sized guards in rim finishing, playmaking, self-creation, and defense. Conwell is a guy he cleared in most facets, and Ryan transferred from the same conference as Stirtz (MVC to Big East). He was also taller than guys like Gillespie, Hepburn, and Martin.
Bennett Stirtz (%ile)
The great TS% (85), near 40 FTr for a great shooter, elite playmaking with elite TO aversion. 34 AST% (99!) and nearly 3.0 AST/TO (97!) is truly special. Very foul averse too with a 99th %ile! Foul efficiency and steals per foul. No fouling while making a great amount of plays while also shouldering the entire offense is the stuff of spreadsheet legend.
The offensive magnificence is just so heartwarming. Over 80% of his 2-pointers were self-created. Nearly 75% of his shots at the rim were unassisted. Yes, you are reading that right, 81% at the rim. Touch shots in the paint were good, too. 41% FG on a 93% unassisted diet. The 3-point creation is filthy. Almost 65% of his 3s were unassisted, which is 99th %ile!
These on/offs are elite too. 100th %ile offensive rating differential is crazy. Still maintained a plus-level defense swing as well at 66th %ile.
These opponent offense on/offs are very interesting. 99th %ile in a bunch of areas like Points/40, TO%, and FTr. Opponents scoring 10 points less, getting to the line less, and turning the ball over more is admittedly intriguing.
Let’s look at Alvaro’s numbers.
65 TS% (95!), 22 AST% (89), 9.0 OReb% (82) and 39 FTr (67). This at 19 years old in a legitimate Mid-Major conference is exceptional. The defense is so exciting, too. 7.1 Stock% (90), great foul aversion (95 in foul efficiency), and elite defensive rebounding (99!).
He has great scoring and shooting, but assisted %, in between games, and 3Pr (44th %ile) could be pointed at as issues. The great 3P% (42%) on still a good 3pr for a big (34.6) is not a real knock in my eyes, shooting-wise. Especially when he’s shooting 78% at the FT line. As far as self creation, he had a 54th %ile assisted% at the rim, 89th on corner 3s, and 55th on all 3s. Not very good but certainly not bad for a young big man. I believe he has the IQ, movement skills, and handle to take a slight leap in creating for himself.
His on/offs are great as well. 92nd %ile in net rating and 88th in defensive rating swing. The 9-point differential (96th %ile!) is fun too. He also had a -1.6% opponent TS differential, which was good for 69th %ile.
Comps
2023-2024, at least 6’7, at least 80 ATR (Around The Rim), at least 80 DSI (Defensive Statistical Impact).
This is the 2025 version.
Alvaro is among such a fun group of frontcourt guys, and transfers have shown some success. I think the efficiency around the rim and the defense should allow for a big-time season in Iowa. The only skepticism I have honestly, is how his self-creation will translate to the Big 10 from Horizon. His age and feel for the game (as well as some production I’ll show later) make you optimistic, but it’s definitely something to monitor.
This is for transfers after the 2023-2024 season.
At least 6’7” sorted by BPM.
This is the 2025 season sorted by BPM.
Alvaro’s 8.3 BPM would’ve had him top 3 among transfers. He looks poised to do something similar to Toppin and Jefferson, as well as having more feel than Toppin and more defensive skill than Jefferson. Alvaro also clears these two as a shooter and probably as a scorer as well. I think it’s reasonable to think Alvaro will at least have a similar season to the two standout Big 12 forwards. The Big 10 comps are a little tricky with guys like Saint Thomas and Great Osobor popping up. Those two had a solid ancillary production, though, at least, and neither has Alvaro’s touch. I think it’s confident to assume Folgueiras’ main skills will translate, with a slight concern for his mid-range creation. I think the feel and overall touch should mitigate those in-between issues he could run into. I wouldn’t worry too much about his season going like Osobor or Thomas, especially since he’s about 3 years younger, so the talent is obviously at a different level.
What did the All-In-One metrics say?
Stirtz-
#1 in Win Shares per40 (99th %ile!) in Missouri Valley Conference
Top 7 (Top 2 Guard) in C-RAM in the country
#1 in C-RAM in the Missouri Valley Conference
Top 4 among True Mid-Majors in BPM
#1 in BPM in Missouri Valley Conference (top Mid Major)
Folgueiras
#1 in Win Shares per 40 in Horizon League
Top 12 in the country in C-RAM
#1 in C-RAM in Horizon League
Top 10 among True-Mid-Majors in BPM
#1 in BPM in Horizon League
The Iowa duo is clearly impactful, and they understand the game to an absurd level. I don’t think a conference not known for outstanding athleticism, like the Big 10, will pose too much of a challenge for these two. They also have solid pieces around them like Cam Manyawu, Brendan Hausen, Mitch Mascari, Isaia Howard, and tough freshmen like Trey Thompson and Trevin Jirak. This team should hit shots and defend. The duo will just be heavily relied upon in the playmaking sense. They might not win the Big 10, but I can see them being a 20+ win team and a tough conference matchup for anybody.