IOWA CITY, Iowa – Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman has signed a scholarship agreement with the University of Iowa men’s basketball program, it was announced Thursday by head coach Ben McCollum. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
“Ty’Reek is a twitchy, efficient scorer,” said McCollum. “He has a knack for being able to get into the lane to finish and he’s going to be a weapon in the pick-and-roll and drive-and-kick situations in our offense. Defensively, he is a strong guard who can really pressure the ball. We’re excited for Ty’Reek to join our program this summer.”
Coleman, a 6-2, 175-pound guard from Aurora, Illinois, averaged 10 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists during his freshman season at Illinois State. He helped the Redbirds win 23 games and advance to the championship game of the NIT.
“I chose the University of Iowa for a number of reasons from the players and coaches to everyone surrounding the program,” said Coleman. “When I hung out with the players on my visit, they were like my friends from back home, so it was easy to mesh with them.
“When I had the chance to spend more time with the coaching staff on my visit, I felt nothing but honesty and a connectedness that I knew I wanted to be a part of. This staff has a true belief in what I can bring to this program and how they can help me become the best version of myself. That led me to choosing the University of Iowa as my home.”
Coleman is the third player to sign with the program for the 2026-27 season, joining incoming freshmen Ethan Harris (Camas, Washington) and Jaidyn Coon (Storm Lake, Iowa).
Ty’Reek Coleman
6-2, 175, Guard
Aurora, Ill.
Waubonsie Valley High School
Illinois State University
- Averaged 10 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals as a freshman at Illinois State
- Played in all 35 games with 19 starts… had .504/.416/702 shooting splits… finished freshman season with 350 points, 93 rebounds, 62 assists and 31 steals
- Scored in double figures in 15 games with a pair of 20-point contests… finished with 15+ points in eight games… made two or more 3-point field goals in 10 games and had five or more rebounds in seven contests
- Netted 24 points on 6-of-8 shooting, making 2-of-3 3-pointers and 10-of-13 free throws, in second career game against Cornell (11/9)
- Finished with 16 points in 31 minutes in first career start against USC (11/14)… had 19 points and a career-best eight rebounds against Drake (2/6) and 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals against Murray State (2/18)
- Scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting (3-of-5 3PT) in NIT title game against Auburn (4/2)
- Ranked in the 99th percentile in points per possession scoring out of ball screens, making 60.3 percent of his field goal attempts as a freshman
- Illinois State finished 23-13 overall and 12-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference… led Redbirds to the NIT title game
- Two-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) all-state selection at Waubonsie Valley High School… two-time DuPage Valley Conference Player of the Year
- Scored 1,339 career points in high school (fifth in school history) to go along with 168 steals (first) and 279 assists (fourth)
- IBCA first-team all-state as a senior after averaging 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range
- Chicago Tribune Region Player of the Year… Hinkle Holiday Classic Tournament Champion and MVP… all-area team captain… IHSA Regional Champion
- Led team to a school-record 31 wins as a senior, including a record 23-game winning streak… fell to eventual Class 4A state champion in sectional semifinal
- Was the sixth-ranked prospect in the state of Illinois by City/Suburban Hoops Report leading into senior season
- IBCA third-team all-state as a junior after averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals… also named Class 4A honorable mention all-state by the state media and to Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team… Beacon-News/Courier News Boys Basketball Player of the Year
- Led team to a 27-3 record and the program’s first regional title since 2019 as a junior
