Coming off Iowa basketball’s spectacular run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament during head coach Ben McCollum’s first season at the helm of the program, the Hawkeyes are in the midst of potentially picking up significant recruiting momentum with elite 2026 shooting guard recruit Jaidyn Coon scheduled to visit campus on March 31.
The 6-foot-6, 180-pounder from Storm Lake, Iowa, is ranked as the No. 116 prospect, No. 44 small forward, and No. 3 recruit in the state on the 247Sports’ composite for the Class of 2026. Ironically, McCollum also grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, which gives a unique personal connection with the area.
Despite his initial May 15, 2025, commitment to Creighton, the announcement of BlueJays’ longtime head coach Greg McDermott’s retirement on March 23 led Coon to withdraw his pledge to the program and reopen his recruitment.
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In his senior season with Storm Lake High School, Coon secured Iowa’s Mr. Basketball award after averaging 22.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and powered the Tornados to a semifinal appearance in the 2025-26 Iowa State Boys’ Basketball Tournament, according to the Des Moines Register’s Tyler Tachman.
With the Hawkeyes back on campus after their March Madness run, McCollum is a high-priority target due to his potential impact on future recruiting and on the court if Iowa can secure his commitment.
While Coon’s visit to Iowa City will be the first of his reopened recruitment process, he also holds scholarship offers from Iowa State, Illinois, TCU, Nebraska, Drake, and Creighton, and potentially could schedule visits with those programs in the near future.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball hosting prized 4-star SF Jaidyn Coon on official visit
