It has been a while since the Iowa men's basketball program had an explosive athlete like Jaidyn Coon.
Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes are thanking their lucky stars that Coon fell into their lap after he decommitted from Creighton following long-time head coach Greg McDermott's announcement of his retirement. Coon, a Storm Lake, Iowa, native, earned the 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball award after a dynamic season for Storm Lake High School, and he has been integrating well with his favorite childhood team.
Despite his freak athleticism and massive potential, Coon struggled with his shooting last season due to one major issue, and he is working diligently to fix that.
One of Coon's main objectives is to fix his shooting woes by keeping his confidence up
Coon averaged a stellar 22.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Storm Lake High School last season, but he revealed he is diligently working to improve his ball-handling and shooting heading into his first season with the Hawkeyes. It's hard to imagine a player with such a smooth offensive game getting even better on that end of the court, but Coon admitted he struggled shooting last season, something he wants to rectify.
In a portion of his recent media availability, Coon told 247Sports that he has been diligently working on his shooting all summer because he often struggled with confidence last season, causing his shooting percentages to dip. He admitted that he was in his own head too much, and has worked to stay clear-minded heading into his first season with the Hawkeyes.
Coon knows his strengths are slashing to the rim for easy dunks and creating opportunities for his teammates, but he wants to develop a more consistent jump shot so he can get more opportunities at the rim. Coon is extremely versatile on both ends, with the ability to guard positions 1-4 on defense and explode to the rim on offense. If he develops a consistent outside shot, good luck defending him.
Coon's athleticism, versatility gives Iowa something they haven't had in the past
There is no guarantee that Coon will crack the rotation during his first season, but his high upside and freak athleticism are very intriguing. Iowa rarely has an elite slashing wing that can jump out of the gym, and that is exactly what Coon provides. Even though he has been very critical of his shooting, he has a nice shooting stroke, and if he can consistently knock down shots, he becomes even more dangerous.
Coon is already receiving praise from his teammates, with new center Andrew McKeever calling him the most athletic player he has ever played with. That is high praise from a veteran player entering his third season playing college basketball. He also entered the summer with the right mindset, as he tries to absorb as much as he can in his first season. There is a lot to like about his game and his mentality, and he might force McCollum's hand as we get closer to the winter.
Coon's tantalizing athleticism is just one of the many things he brings to the table, with his defensive versatility also standing out. If you play in McCollum's program, you have to play defense, and with Coon already excelling in that area, he is forging a path to more playing time. Iowa has no shortage of talented wings who could make an impact next season, but Coon is continually proving that he is one of the more well-rounded players on the squad.
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