6 days till Iowa Hoops: Jaidyn Coon
With Iowa’s exhibition already in the books, the countdown is down to next Tuesday, and the next name on the list is one of the Hawkeyes’ two true freshmen: Jaidyn Coon.
Coon arrives at Iowa as the No. 6 player in this group, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard/forward from Storm Lake, where he was an Iowa Mr. Basketball winner. As a senior, he averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 53.2% from the field, 29.8% from 3 and 64.1% at the line.
The resume matches the reputation. Coon was the kind of high school player whose highlights made him look like a man among boys.
He was a force at Storm Lake, and in his final two seasons he helped lead the Tornadoes to consecutive state tournament appearances - their first since 1980. Before that lone tournament win this past season, Storm Lake also hadn’t won a game there since 1980.
His dunk package is the first thing that jumps off the screen. A lot of those clips show him sizing up defenders and deciding exactly how he wants to finish over them. That’s been the calling card.
He was committed to Creighton when many of those highlights were made, but the path changed early in 2026. Greg McDermott retired, opening the door in Coon’s recruitment, and Iowa’s own tournament run helped show what Ben McCollum was building in Iowa City. With McCollum also being a native son of Storm Lake, Iowa was able to flip the in-state prospect, who was ranked just outside the top 100, to the Hawkeyes.
The exhibition offered the first look at how Coon fits. He was the only freshman to come off the bench and the 11th player to see the floor, behind Peyton McCollum and Joey Matteoni. His stint was brief but lively: he attempted a 3, picked up two fouls, missed an alley-top chance and then settled in long enough to throw down a dunk before checking out after roughly four minutes.
For now, energy looks like his best path to minutes. He could be the kind of guard/wing pest Tavion Banks was last season, especially in the backcourt.
He can attack the glass, get out in transition and bring some pop with his athleticism. The shot is still a work in progress - he missed all three of his 3-point tries in the exhibition - but the motor is obvious.
Playing time won’t come easy. Iowa’s depth makes the road steeper, and Coon is fighting for wing minutes with Isaia Howard and Tate Sage. Still, if he keeps earning trust in McCollum’s rotation, his athleticism and energy should give him a real chance to carve out a role.
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