Creighton men’s basketball commit Jaidyn Coon has had quite the last few days. The Storm Lake (Iowa) senior broke his school’s career scoring record on Saturday, and he followed that up with a near-career high in a triple-overtime win over Omaha Westside in the MLK Classic at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln Monday.
“Nothing more I could ask for,” Coon said. “It has been really sweet. I’ve been living on a high lately.”
The Tornadoes, a 3A team in Iowa, improved to 10-1 on the season by outlasting Westside, the fourth-ranked team in Nebraska’s largest class, 99-97 in overtime Monday afternoon. Coon went off for 37 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Jaidyn Coon brings the ball up the floor against Omaha Westside. Photo by Jackson Luethje.
The 6-foot-7 forward blocked a jumper at the end of the first overtime, then he blocked a 3 that would have tied it late in the second overtime. Westside found a way to tie it up at 93-all and send it to a third overtime, where Coon scored his team’s first four points before collapsing with cramps. After a timeout, he returned to action to play out the final two minutes, and the Tornadoes survived a 3-pointer at the buzzer to secure the victory.
“I don’t know how he kept playing,” Storm Lake coach Evan Franzmeier said of Coon. “I took a time out to keep him in the game. Cramping up, he played a game and a half or whatever, and we played this last Saturday too, so we haven’t had much time to let the legs get back underneath of us, and we play again tomorrow night. So he’s just super tough. It’s a prime example of just our team toughness, but him especially.”
Coon played the entire 44 minutes, a feat made more impressive by that fact that he is asthmatic. He said dealing with his condition has been tough, but he’s becoming used to it and is training himself to keep pushing, even when times are tough.
“I dug pretty deep,” Coon said. “I had double cramps and went for a layup, couldn’t even jump off the ground. And then I had to get the trainer to come stretch me out, and then I got to the bench, and then teammates are rolling me out a little bit, my coach did. So I dug pretty deep and then came out there. My teammates got my back and we got the win.”
Coon showcased the explosiveness and motor that set him apart throughout the game on Monday, grabbing seven offensive rebounds and throwing down a handful of high-flying dunks — both in transition and in the halfcourt. He also hit a pair of 3-pointers, blending power and skill to create scoring opportunities for himself.
.@BluejayMBB commit Jaidyn Coon is absolutely RUTHLESS and putting on a show at the MLK Classic in Council Bluffs 🔥 #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/FGIHJUAJ9b
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) January 19, 2026
He’s averaging roughly 23 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block while shooting over 53% from the field, 31% from 3 and 71% from the foul line so far as a senior.
Three members of Creighton’s coaching staff — associate head coach Alan Huss, assistant coach Trey Zeigler and director of basketball operations Jeff Vanderloo — crossed the river to watch their signee play and catch up with him after the game.
“It means a lot, just shows that they trust me and I just can’t thank them any more … It’s been really good, really good,” Coon said. “We keep in touch all the time. As you can see, all three of them came to this game, so it just shows.”
Coon signed to play for Greg McDermott, though how long he’ll remain as Creighton’s head coach before handing off the program to Huss, Creighton’s coach in waiting, is up in the air. That dynamic could make things complex for an incoming recruit, but Coon is secure in his decision regardless as Huss has been an integral part of his recruiting process alongside McDermott.
“They have very similar coaching styles, so I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Coon said. “He’s a great guy. He and I text all the time.”
The Creighton coaching staff was also there to watch Omaha Westside junior London Dada, who recently received an offer from Iowa to go with those he already held from Omaha, Belmont, the Bluejays and Nebraska. Dada dealt with foul trouble early but still finished with 21 points and seven rebounds while hitting a contested 3-pointer with 2.3 to go to send the game to a third overtime.
“He’s a great player,” Coon said of Dada. “The length that that team has, the athleticism, it was pretty tough. But I feel like our role players and everyone around me helped me step up my game.”
Westside senior Emre Gedik, an Augustana commit, led the Warriors with 22 points, four rebounds and four steals despite fouling out with just under a minute to play in the second overtime. William Preston, a 6-foot-10 Hampton commit, added 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds.
While Coon stole the show, he also received some big performances from his teammates. Senior point guard Cam Boyd, a Briar Cliff commit, finished with 25 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals while hitting what proved to be the game-winner in triple-overtime, a pull-up jumper for Storm lake’s final bucket with just over a minute to play. Junior Trey Boettcher shot 5-for-12 from 3 for 15 points off the bench. Senior Garbieno Weno had his own double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Jaidyn Coon throws down one of his several dunks against the Warriors. Photo by Jackson Luethje.
Coon’s 37-point outburst followed a 26-point performance in 74-52 win at OABCIG on Saturday in which he broke Storm Lake’s 56-year-old career scoring record on a breakaway dunk late in the first period. He’s closing in on 1,500 career points after Monday’s game.
“It means a lot just because Ron Kennedy, the guy who previously held it, he got drafted in the NBA,” Coon said of the record. “So it’s just pretty sweet, always remembering that.”
While Coon has scored more points than anyone else who has donned the Storm Lake jersey, Franzmeier said his unselfishness is what makes him special.
“He’s selfless,” Franzmeier said. “It’s not about him. He makes the right play, he shares the basketball really well and he just plays hard … He’s a really good teammate, treats his teammates really well and we’re lucky to have him. We’re proud to have him.”
Coon said his 3-point shooting, ability to get downhill and his court vision have improved the most over the past year, though his coach said the development has been gradual and consistent throughout his career.
“All four years, he’s gotten better,” Franzmeier said. “He’s started for us for four years. He just passed the school record the other night in scoring. He just got better every single year, and he continues to get better. He puts in countless hours, he’s always shooting. This last year, he put a lot of time in the weight room just to get through some of that contact and just be physical, and he’s going to need that at the college level at Creighton. So I’m just proud of him. He’s put a lot of time and effort in, and he’s a good player.”
Coon, who committed to Creighton in May of 2025 and signed in November, has made multiple visits to campus and has experienced the facilities and game-day atmosphere first-hand. While he still has plenty of business to finish with his teammates this season, he’s looking forward to getting to Omaha and officially joining the Bluejays this summer.
“It’s awesome,” Coon said. “Nothing more that a small-town kid from a town with 10,000 people can dream of. It’s pretty sweet.”
