Illinois State transfer Ty'Reek Coleman commits to Iowa basketball

Statistically, Coleman made an impact on the defensive end, averaging 0.9 steals per game. But it will be interesting to see how Coleman adjusts to the physicality of the Big Ten on both ends of the floor. Listed at just 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Coleman does not have great positional size for a league like the Big Ten. Maturing physically will be important for Coleman to be able to make the jump to a higher level of competition than what he saw in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Against notable competition last season — USC, Utah State, Wake Forest, Dayton and Auburn — Coleman averaged 7.8 points per game.

Coleman excelled against USC and Auburn, combining for 33 points in those two games. He had 17 points on 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep in the NIT semifinal against the Tigers. But he combined for just six points against Utah State, Dayton and Wake Forest, including a goose egg against the Demon Deacons.

It was a mixed bag of results, but that is also in line with the ups and downs of a freshman season. Ideally, Coleman will be able to find some more consistency. But it's also worth keeping in mind that he is still young, and translating production from the mid-major to the power conference level is not always smooth sailing.

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 29: Ty'Reek Coleman #10 of the Illinois State Redbirds looks on against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half of an exhibition game at Welsh-Ryan Arena on October 29, 2025 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Iowa's ability to replace Bennett Stirtz is one of the big storylines entering McCollum's second season at the helm. It would be unfair to expect Coleman to be a replica of Stirtz, a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. As long as Iowa can get very good point guard play — not necessarily elite like Stirtz — and surround him with an improved supporting cast, the Hawkeyes should be in good shape.

The other good news is that Coleman still has three seasons of eligibility remaining, meaning he has the potential to develop for several seasons under McCollum, who has a track record of producing great guards.

Coleman gives Iowa another ball-handling guard to go along with Kael Combs, who will be entering his third season playing for McCollum and brings value as a defender. Combs started 33 games on Iowa's Elite Eight team last season.

Coleman joins a young Iowa nucleus that provides optimism for the future of the program. Tate Sage, Cooper Koch and Trevin Jirak each have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Former four-star prospect Trey Thompson still has four after redshirting the 2025-26 campaign. The Hawkeyes are also bringing in a pair of four-star prospects in the 2026 high school recruiting class — Jaidyn Coon and Ethan Harris.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Illinois State transfer Ty'Reek Coleman commits to Iowa basketball