Coon, the 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner, was originally committed to Creighton before leaving due to a coaching change. He'll join the Hawkeyes for the 2026-27 season.
Though Iowa men's basketball's 2025-26 campaign just ended three days ago, Ben McCollum and Co. are already hard at work building the 2026-27 roster.
The first piece of the puzzle came on Tuesday, when 2026 high school recruit Jaidyn Coon announced on social media that he would flip his commitment from Creighton to Iowa. Coon, ranked as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, committed to the Bluejays in December, but reopened his recruitment on March 24 following head coach Greg McDermott's retirement.
"Thank you Lord for blessing me with an opportunity of a life time, I dreamed as a kid playing at the collegiate level," Coon said in his announcement. "Lastly I wanna thank everyone who has supported me throughout this process! Go Hawks!"
Coon, who hails from Storm Lake, Iowa - also McCollum's hometown - took an official visit to Iowa on March 31, and the lone trip to Iowa City was enough to lure him to the Hawkeyes. He will be the second addition to the 2026 class, joining 6-foot-9 four-star power forward Ethan Harris.
Standing at 6-foot-7 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, has been on the national radar since his sophomore year. The Des Moines Register named Coon as one of the 50 best Iowa high school basketball players in December 2024, and he's done nothing but blossom into a star since.
TCU, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Drake, Creighton, and Illinois all offered by that point, and Coon continued to impress coaches with his stellar play. Coon averaged 23.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during his junior campaign, leading Storm Lake to its first state tournament berth since 1994. '
Coon didn't disappoint during his senior season, recording 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, helping the Tornadoes reach the semifinals of the state tournament. Coon finished his career with a school-record 1,140 points and was named 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball - the first-ever player from Storm Lake to do so.
Coon will now join forces with 2025 Iowa Mr. Basketball honoree Trevin Jirak in Iowa City. He could play a role for the 2026-27 Hawkeyes, who are looking for guard help after the departure of Bennett Stirtz.
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