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Inside The Hawkeyes

2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball Set to Visit With Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes could win a last minute battle for Mr. Basketball.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Storm Lake junior Jaidyn Coon dunks the basketball against ADM during the Iowa high school boys state basketball tournament on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Mandatory Credit: Bryon Houlgrave-The Des Moines Register
Storm Lake junior Jaidyn Coon dunks the basketball against ADM during the Iowa high school boys state basketball tournament on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Mandatory Credit: Bryon Houlgrave-The Des Moines Register | Bryon Houlgrave/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

First-year head coach Ben McCollum hasn't had a ton of time to win recruiting battles, but now he's in line to win his biggest yet.

The Iowa Hawkeyes know they'll have a few players enter the transfer portal, and they already know they'll be without star guards Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks.

2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner Jaidyn Coon recently reopened his recruitment after signing with Creighton back on May 15, 2025.

Coon officially signed his letter of intent on Nov. 12, 2025, but later decommitted on March 24, 2026. Now, McCollum has a visit lined up with Mr. Basketball and it's set to begin on March 31.

Iowa Secures Massive Visit With Jaidyn Coon

D1 Minnesota announced the visit on social media as Iowa is officially back in the running for the Stork Lake native. To no surprise, Coon plays for Storm Lake High School and 247Sports lists him as the No. 3 player in the state.

Whether he's No. 3 or No. 1, the title of Mr. Basketball in 2026 proves just how great of a player he truly is. Iowa always loves to keep the best players in-state, so this would be a massive win for all parties involved.

Coon stands 6-foot-6, 180 pounds and is listed as a small forward. Iowa knows its biggest priorities in the portal are adding a guard and center. Coon might not fit either of those builds, but this is a quality depth piece that could pay off big time in a few years.

Iowa Only Has One Class of 2026 Recruit

Recruiting at a new school is something that takes time but McCollum bringing a bunch of Drake players to an Elite Eight with Iowa is a sight to behold. His first few years with the program are going to take some time to build an identity, but now the goal is crystal clear. If McCollum can get that roster to the Elite Eight, the sky truly is the limit.

Coon decommitted from Creighton for a reason, so now it's up for Iowa to get the job done. Coon will likely leave town having not made up his mind just yet. There will be more visits to come, but Iowa needs to give him something to think about. Neither he nor their only other commit, Ethan Harris, will see a ton of playing time a year from now, but that doesn't mean in 2-3 years these two couldn't be the focal points of the entire program.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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