NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — Five-star point guard King Gibson is one of the most electric and explosive guards in the 2027 class. It’s why he’s drawing attention from some of the nation’s top programs.
Since the contact period opened up on June 15, Gibson has been offered by Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina and Providence. He holds previous offers from the likes of Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Georgetown, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, NC State, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, among others. He’s also heard from, Kentucky, Miami and Syracuse.
Most recently in his recruitment process, Gibson took an unofficial visit to NC State in late June.
“That visit was great,” Gibson said. “Great personalities around like coach Will Wade. Great personality. And it’s just a great school. I’ve been there before, walked around and seen the school. But when you have different people in there, the vibe is different, everything is different. I just feel like it’s a great place.”
While he was there, Gibson was able to watch some of the guards and bigs work out on the court, and then in the weight room. He was able to see how the strength and conditioning coach gets his players better. And of course, he was able to chat with Wade.
“He’s a lot of things,” Gibson said with a smile. “He has a great personality. He’s very personable. He says what he needs to say no matter what. And that’s things I like. I like someone to be transparent and coach me hard. So I love that from coach Wade.”
Gibson also broke down his recent offers from Alabama and North Carolina.
Alabama: “I watched them a couple times this year and just seeing the way they play, seeing Mark Sears play, Labaron Philon, I just love their play style. They play the game like I like to play the game: fast. They guard. So just having a program like that being interested in me is great.”
North Carolina: “Being a North Carolina kid, you always hear about UNC and coach Hubert Davis. So just getting that offer, that meant a lot to me and my family. My dad is a UNC fan. I love the offer. The offer was great. And coach Hubert Davis is a great person and has a great personality too. So talking to him, it was a great experience.”
Additionally, Gibson said Michigan and Missouri have been reaching out often. He watched Michigan’s first year under Dusty May and came away impressed. He said he loves the Wolverines and it’s a great school. As for the Tigers?
“I talk to their coaches a lot,” Gibson said. “So just getting to know them, getting to know their play style since I didn’t see them a lot. It’s just going to be a great experience. I can’t wait.”
Kentucky has watched some of Gibson’s games in North Augusta, and the point guard expects the offer to come soon.
Right now, no other visits have been set for the five-star. He’ll likely take some trips this fall during football season. Gibson is looking for a coach that’s transparent with him.
“A coach that’s going to coach me hard, tell me everything I need to do, tell me the right and wrong and just be there for me every step of the way,” Gibson said. “So that and a great play style that can fit my play style: play fast, play defense and everything. So that type of play style would be great.”
Gibson spent his sophomore season at Montverde Academy under coach Kevin Boyle, and he’ll be following him to Spire Academy in Ohio.
“I was reflecting on different things last year and I felt comfortable going with coach Boyle, and the way he coached me last year,” Gibson said of his decision to transfer. “It was a hard coaching style and that’s something I need. Being with coach Boyle was a blessing. It made me a better person and a better player, so going with again him for these next two years is going to be great. I’m looking forward to the season, the opportunities we’re going to get and different things we’re going to see, different teams we’ll get to play. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”
The five-star is ranked the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2027 class by 247Sports. He describes himself as a downhill slasher who can hit shots and make plays for his teammates. For Team United 16u this summer, Gibson’s averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range.
His first game of Peach Jam will be on Tuesday, July 15, at 8 a.m. vs. City Rocks.
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By JAMES MADDEN & SAM LANCE
ROCK HILL, SC — Jaidyn Coon didn’t hold back his praise of the culture and family feeling Greg McDermott has built at Creighton since taking over the program in 2010.
Coon, the 6-foot-6 forward from Storm Lake (IA), is spending the summer playing with D1 Minnesota on the 3SSB circuit. Over the course of this summer, he’s averaged 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds to help D1 reach the championship game of Adidas 3SSB’s final tournament.
“I’m a 3&D type player,” Coon told ZAGSBLOG. “I’ll get out and shoot threes. I’m an attacker too. I’m a finisher, but I’m more of a defender. I’d lock down anyone to help my team.”
Coon talked about the importance of building strong relationships with each program that recruited him, but he ultimately felt Creighton was the place he and his family wanted to call home.
“Just the family atmosphere they have,” Coon said. “I live two and a half hours away from campus and coach [Greg] McDermott and coach [Jeff] Vanderloo, they’ve always been there for me. It was an easy decision for me.”
McDermott has built a winning culture in Omaha during his tenure with the Blue Jays. Creighton has made 11 NCAA tournament appearances with McDermott at the helm and have become one of the nation’s most consistent programs over the course of the last 15 years.
“They’re a premier school,” Coon said. “They’re always in the March Madness tournament every single year. The family guy coach McDermott is, it means a lot to me and also the style of play they have. They’re a get out and run team. They play in the Big East, which is awesome, and they’re always on TV. So that’s fun.”
Coon said he has an “awesome” relationship with coach McDermott.
“He’s a great guy,” Coon added. “He cares more about the person than actual basketball. Me and his relationship is really good. We talk every so often. He cares about basketball obviously, but he always asks me how I’m doing and how my family’s doing, so he’s a more personal type of coach.”
Aside from joining a program and community that breathes basketball, Coon is excited to be apart of a fast-paced and high-powered offense at Creighton.
“They get out and run,” he said. “That’s exactly what I do. I like to get out and run through the lanes, shoot threes, rip-dunk and play defense.”
Coon said he plans on visiting campus this fall and will attend some team workouts as the season inches closer.
Basketball is a family business in the Coon household, with Jaidyn’s father, Martin Coon, having played at the Division I level with the Northern Iowa program.
He said there’s no current outline for his future role in the Creighton program, but he looks forward to using fall workouts and this upcoming season to improve into the best player he can be.
Coon didn’t give any specific names of who he might be trying to bring to Omaha, but he did say Creighton is after a point guard and a big man this cycle. Coon is the first Blue Jay commit in the 2026 class.
Photo via Tipton Edits.
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