IOWA CITY – Three players from Drake University – Kael Combs, Cam Manyawu and Bennett Stirtz – have signed scholarship agreements with the University of Iowa men’s basketball program, it was announced Thursday by head coach Ben McCollum.
Stirtz has one season of eligibility remaining, while Combs and Manyawu both have two.
All three played under McCollum during the 2024-25 season, helping the Bulldogs to a 31-win season, a Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament title and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Kael Combs
6-4, 190, Guard
Nixa, Mo.
Nixa
Wyoming | Drake
Played in 31 games as a reserve guard, averaging 3.8 points, two rebounds and 0.9 assists… had a .511 field goal percentage (46-of-90)
Scored in double figures in four games, including a 13-point, five-rebound contest in the NCAA Round of 32 game against Texas Tech
Played freshman season at Wyoming, seeing time in 26 games with one start… averaged 2.7 points, scoring a season-high 12 points against Boise State
Standout basketball and football player at Nixa High School… earned Missouri Class 6 all-state honors and was COC Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 23.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range
Cam Manyawu
6-8, 230, Forward, Junior
Kansas City, Mo.
Staley
Wyoming | Drake
Averaged 7.1 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds as a sophomore
Started all 35 games and led the team with a 57.8 field goal percentage
Had a team-high 24 blocks and finished with 45 steals
Finished in double figures in nine games and had five double figure rebounding games… posted two double-doubles
Finished with a season-high 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in championship game of Charleston Classic against Vanderbilt
Tallied a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds at UIC
MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team
Spent freshman season at Wyoming, playing in 31 games where he averaged 7.3 points and 6.6 rebounds
Collected seven double-doubles, including a 20-point, 11-rebound game against South Dakota Mines
First-team all-state honoree at Staley High School… led prep team to 2023 Missouri Class 6 state title en route to a 30-2 record… played in the Kansas City Metro All-Star game
Bennett Stirtz
6-4, 180, Guard
Liberty, Mo.
Liberty
Northwest Missouri State | Drake
Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year & MVC Newcomer of the Year as a junior
Field of 68 first-team All-America… Andy Katz third-team All-America… AP honorable mention All-America… USBWA honorable mention All-America
Finalist for Riley Wallace Award presented to most impactful transfer in Division I basketball… also a finalist for Lou Henson Award for top mid-major player
NABC All-Central District first team… first-team All-MVC, All-MVC newcomer team
Led the MVC in scoring (19.1), steals (2.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.89)… ranked second in assists (5.7)
Led the nation in minutes played per game, averaging 39:20
Joined Larry Bird as only players in MVC history to achieve 600 points (631), 180 assists (188) and 70 steals (71) in a season… was only player in NCAA to record the feat
Named Most Outstanding Player in MVC Tournament after averaging 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals in three games, including back-to-back 24-point outings in semifinal and championship games.
Had a MVC-high 18 20+ point games… recorded 11 double-doubles
Joined Oscar Robertson as only players in MVC history to collect 30 points and 12-plus assists in a game when he had 30/12 at UIC… one of two players in nation to achieve that feat in 2024-25
First Drake player to collect 600 points and 150 assists in a season… finished No. 3 on school’s single season assists list (188) and No. 6 on scoring list (631)
Four-time MVC Player of the Week and two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week honoree
Two-time second-team all-league selection at Northwest Missouri State… 2022-23 MIAA Freshman of the Year, while averaging 12.6 points, while recording the most steals by any NCAA Division II freshman (65)
Led the league in field goal percentage (.601) and assist-to-turnover (2.28)… ranked No. 16 in nation in steals (65)
Named to MIAA All-Tournament team after leading Bearcats to title
Started all 34 games as a sophomore, ranking second on team in scoring (15.2) while being named to Central Region All-Tournament team… had 11 20-point games, including a career-high 29 vs. Southwest Missouri State
Played 40 or more minutes eight times
Two-time Missouri Class 6 all-state selection at Liberty High School after averaging 18.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals as a senior… led team to a 25-3 record and was named Suburban Gold Conference Player of the Year
Led Liberty to runner-up finish in 2021 Missouri Class 6 state championship
Played for his father, Roger