Skip to main content
High School

Jaidyn Coon Makes His College Decision Official

Reigning Mr. Basketball in Iowa commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Dana Becker|
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

It did not take the reigning Mr. Basketball in the state of Iowa long to decide on a new college home.

Jaidyn Coon, a senior at Storm Lake High School, committed to Ben McCollum and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday. Coon had decommitted from Creighton after veteran head coach Greg McDermott announced plans to retire after this season.

“Thank you Lord for blessing me with an opportunity of a lifetime,” Coon wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “I dreamed as a kid playing at the collegiate level. Lastly I wanna thank everyone who has supported me throughout this process.

“GO HAWKS.”

Jaidyn Coon Led Storm Lake To Multiple State Basketball Appearances

A 6-foot-7 forward, Coon led the Tornadoes to back-to-back Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament appearances in Class 3A, reaching the semifinals this past season.

Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Iowa for the Class of 2026 by 247Sports, Coon held offers from Iowa, Illinois, Iowa State, Nebraska, TCU, Drake and Creighton at the time of his initial decision to commit to McDermott.

Future Iowa Hawkeye Became School's Career Scoring Leader, Mr. Basketball

The Iowa Print Sports Writers Association and Iowa Basketball Coaches Association tabbed Coon Mr. Basketball this season over Nebraska commit and Waukee Northwest senior Colin Rice. He posted 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and nearly two steals per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Coon became the Storm Lake carer scoring leader earlier this year, finishing his career with 1,692 points scored.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

Share on XFollow danabecker
Home/Iowa