Hawkeyes Boost Recruiting Class With 4-Star Forward

Watching the Iowa men's basketball team make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament was a Hawkeye fans dream. It had been 37 years since Iowa was in the Elite Eight. And even thought Iowa's Cinderella run came to an end, the benefits of all that national exposure is bearing fruit.

Hawkeyes Lands Commitment from Iowa Mr. Basketball

The Hawkeyes have some holes to fill for the 2026-27 season. They'll need to add size, replace All-American point guard Bennett Stirtz, and add more depth to compete in the Big Ten. On Thursday, the Hawkeyes got some help from the 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball. Hawk Central reports that 4-star forward Jaidyn Coon has committed to Ben McCollum and the University of Iowa!

Jaidyn Coon Reopened His Recruiting

The 6 foot 7 inch wing was originally set to attend Creighton, but reopened his recruitment when longtime Creighton coach Greg McDermott announced his retirement accordig to Hawk Central. That is when the Hawkeyes swooped in. Coon averaged 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game during his senior year of high school. He'll need to work on his outside shot if he wants to excel in Ben McCollum's Iowa offense.

An Instant Connection with Ben McCollum

Hawk Central reports that Coon is from Storm Lake, Iowa. Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum grew up near the same town. He even offered Coon a scholarship when he was still the head coach at Drake. Coon was also being pursued by Nebraska and Illinois.