What Jaidyn Coon commitment means for Iowa basketball
· Yahoo Sports
After weeks of speculation, Iowa fans got the good news they had been waiting for: Jaidyn Coon is going to be a Hawkeye.
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The four-star forward from Storm Lake, Iowa, was originally committed to Creighton. Following the announcement that longtime Blue Jays head coach Greg McDermott was stepping down after the 2025-26 season, Coon reopened his recruitment. Many predicted that he would end up in Iowa City alongside fellow Storm Lake native and current head coach Ben McCollum. That news became official on Thursday.
Coon posted a statement on X announcing his intentions to become a Hawkeye, fulfilling a childhood dream. The 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner will join last year's winner, Trevin Jirak, at Iowa. It's a big recruiting win for McCollum and the program. But what else does it mean for the future of Iowa basketball? Here are three takeaways from the Hawkeyes landing a commitment from Coon.
1. Recruits took notice of the NCAA Tournament run
Iowa's run to the Elite Eight was satisfying in the moment. A trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time this century and only a few plays away from the Final Four. That run may end up being even more satisfying in the future. It put the Hawkeyes back on the national stage in a good light. Everyone got to see the quality of the head coach and program up close and personal.
That stuff matters in recruiting. Brand exposure is massive when trying to bring in top-tier talent who have aspirations to play at the next level. They see a program that has a chance to compete and can get players to the NBA. That's one heck of a recruiting pitch. Would Coon have committed if Iowa lost to Florida in the second round? Maybe still. But there's no denying that run played a huge role in getting the commitment over the finish line.
2. Iowa is keeping the best in-state recruits home
It's so important for schools like Iowa to win recruiting battles for in-state prospects. Unlike other places, the state of Iowa isn't crawling with four and five-star talent. When there are those elite prospects from inside the state, the Hawkeyes need to win some of those battles. In the last few years of the Fran McCaffrey era, Iowa wasn't doing that. Now under McCollum, they are.
They got Jirak last year, which was a major win. And now they've landed Coon, a highly sought-after prospect. There's no underselling just how important that is. McCollum has shown that he can recruit outside of the state, landing four-star Ethan Harris in the 2026 class as well. The more in-state prospects he can keep home, the better off the program is going to be. Major kudos to him for getting Coon to Iowa City.
3. This is only the beginning
As long as McCollum is the head coach of the program, the Hawkeyes are going to recruit at a high level. He's shown an ability to sell players on the experience of playing in his system. Iowa has landed a ton of talent in both the transfer portal and high school ranks over the past year, and McCollum is a big part of that.
The Hawkeyes got an elite transfer portal haul, Trevin Jirak and Trey Thompson, last season. They've already landed Harris and Coon out of high school this year, with the portal opening up here soon. Fans should get used to seeing a lot of success both on and off the court with McCollum. He's proven himself as one of the best basketball minds in the country. The future of this program is bright.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: What Jaidyn Coon commitment means for Iowa basketball