Iowa Lands Dynamic Transfer Ty'Reek Coleman: Next Star Hawkeye Guard?

The Illinois State transfer comes to Iowa with three years of eligibility and should be an immediate contributor. Here's what to know about Coleman.

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Illinois State Redbirds guard Ty'Reek Coleman (10) drives to the basket against Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) during the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

After a magical run to the Elite Eight in Year 1 of the Ben McCollum-era at Iowa, the Hawkeyes entered an offseason with one glaring need: a new lead guard.

With Bennett Stirtz – the heartbeat of the 2025-26 squad – off to the NBA, McCollum and his staff knew they needed a player to fill that void. On Friday night, they found just that, as Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman committed to the program. 

Who is Iowa commit Ty’Reek Coleman?

Tabbed as a three-star recruit in the class of 2025, Coleman, an Aurora, Illinois native, stayed in state and attended Illinois State as a freshman.

With the Redbirds projected to be one of the best mid-major squads in the country, there wasn’t an expectation of a freshman coming in and competing for minutes in the rotation – let alone starting. 

But Coleman wasn’t a run-of-the-mill first-year player. After impressing as a starter in an exhibition game against Illinois, Coleman cemented himself in the rotation, before officially moving into a starting role in Illinois State’s third game of the year.

He wound up averaging 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists on the year in 22.8 minutes per outing (started 19 out of 35 games).

Iowa transfer commit Ty’Reek Coleman scouting report

Offensively, Coleman is quintessential lead guard: three-level scorer (and an efficient one), gifted facilitator, and always in control. The 6-foot-2 guard can knock down triples off the catch or the bounce (hit 1.1 on a sterling 41.6 percent clip), get to a midrange pull-up or floater and finish at the rack. 

Reek👌 pic.twitter.com/icITxgk3JM

— Illinois State Men's Basketball (@Redbird_MBB) February 19, 2026

He is twitchy, has the ball on a string and plays with tremendous pace – all of which blends into a deadly downhill combo. Coleman isn’t exactly an above-the-rim athlete, but once he’s in the paint, he’s ultra-crafty and he plays extraordinarily well off two feet. 

Up-fakes, step-throughs, spins – you name it. Coleman has all of the fancy footwork in his bag, all of which allows him to shoot 55.7 percent inside the arc – which is a thoroughly impressive digit for a 6-foot-2 guard. 

Go to work, Reek😤 pic.twitter.com/Aq2apqhsf4

— Illinois State Men's Basketball (@Redbird_MBB) February 13, 2026

As a facilitator, his 1.8 assists don’t leap off the page (especially against 1.6 turnovers), but Coleman is a better creator than that number suggests. In the pick-and-roll or in drive-and-kick situations, Coleman can generate clean looks for teammates.

He’s not just a willing passer, but a skilled one, as he can make post entries, cross-court skips, pocket-passes and more. 

Still, the Redbirds often used Coleman as an action-initator more so than a direct playmaker, so how he blossoms as a true creator and in heavy ball-screen action with the Hawkeyes remains to be seen, but the flashes he has shown are quite encouraging. 

Defensively, Coleman may be even better. Per EvanMiya, Coleman was the second-best defender on Illinois State (behind standout forward Chase Walker), and the Redbirds finished with the No. 65 defense in the nation, per KenPom. 

More importantly, Coleman passes the eye test on that end. He utilizes his length, lateral agility and high defensive IQ to be effective on the ball and off it.

He is a pesky defender at the point of attack who can speed up opposing ballhandlers and he rarely makes mistakes in help – which is remarkable for a first-year player. 

How will Ty’Reek Coleman fit at Iowa?

Although one could argue that Kael Combs is capable of taking over the lead guard role, he is probably best suited to play off the ball and serve as a secondary playmaker, which leaves that spot wide open for Coleman to slide into. 

Coleman can be trusted with the burdensome task of bringing up the ball and initiating offense on a play-to-play basis. He can push the tempo in the open floor – although the Hawkeyes much prefer a slow pace – or take it up against pressure. 

Reek is rollin’🙂‍↕️

He’s up to 12 pts pic.twitter.com/z4dXSvbJc3

— Illinois State Men's Basketball (@Redbird_MBB) January 1, 2026

And again, as a playmaker, Coleman is more-than up to the task. Toss in his long-distance stroke and downhill ability, and Coleman will find a way to make an offensive impact – and perhaps a great one. 

With McCollum, a guard-whisperer, in his corner, Coleman should blossom throughout the 2026-27 campaign. And if the Hawkeyes manage to keep Coleman around for all three of his remaining years of eligibility, he very well may develop into a bonafide star.