University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Wilson, Jirak and Hutchins sign with UNI men’s basketball
11/13/2024 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers sign trio of prep standouts from Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan as part of 2025 recruiting class.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI men's basketball team announced a trio of prep signings on Wednesday afternoon as part of National Signing Day, with signed national letters of intent by Detroit, Michigan guard Geon Hutchins, West Des Moines, Iowa center Trevin Jirak and Minneapolis, Minnesota forward Jalen Wilson.
"Our continued commitment and focus on talented, high character high school players paid great dividends again today with the signing of Trevin, Geon and Jalen," said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. "My staff did a tremendous job building trust and relationships with them and their families. We are adding size and skill in the backcourt with Geon and two very talented and skilled players up front with Trev and Jalen. We feel very fortunate to add these three young men and their families to our Panther Hoops Family."
JALEN WILSON - Minneapolis, Minn. (Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) - Forward
A three-year varsity letterwinner and two-year captain, Wilson is ranked 90th on ESPN's top-100 recruits of the 2025 class. He begins his senior season at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School in the Twin Cities area under head coach Damian Johnson. Jalen currently sits 4th on the all time scoring list with 1,560 points. The current leader is Jordan Taylor with 2,068 points. The 6' 8", 215 pound forward averaged 20.5 points per game for the Red Knights last season, leading his team to a second consecutive Metro West Conference title with all-league honors, as well as a Class 3A sectional finals appearance. Wilson scored a career-high 43 points last season against 4A Eden Prairie. As a sophomore, the Red Knights posted a 25-5 record and were ranked 11th in the state with Wilson on the roster, while his freshman campaign saw Benilde-St. Margaret's go 17-10.
"Jalen plays with the kind of energy, enthusiasm and effort that our fans will absolutely love," said Jacobson. "He is a terrific young guy. Jalen is a highly skilled forward that has a knack for being around the ball defensively and for putting it in the basket at the offensive end. Jalen has a great combination of size and skill. We are very excited to have Jalen and his family make it official today in joining our Panther Hoops Family."
Wilson is the son of Mary Stone and the late Silas Wilson. He also received recruiting interest from Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Loyola-Chicago and Kansas City.
TREVIN JIRAK - West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley HS) - Center
Iowa native Trevin Jirak, a 6' 10", 260 pound center, has been a key part of Valley High School's recent stretch of dominance to win back-to-back class 4A state championships under head coach BJ Windhorst. During his junior year, Jirak averaged 10.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the floor. The Tigers finished with a 21-5 record and a second straight state title. As a sophomore, Trevin shot 55.3% with 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocks to help Valley to a class 4A championship.
"We are excited to officially add Trevin and his family to our Panther Hoops Family today," Jacobson said. "He is a first class young man. Trevin's combination of size and skill makes him unique and a great fit for the way we play. His passing, scoring on the block and ability to make three's are all things our fans can get excited about. He has won at the highest level and has played for two terrific coaches and programs. We can't wait to get Trevin to campus."
A standout with AAU All Iowa Attack under coach Lefty Moore, Jirak is the son of Jamie and Paula Jirak. He also received recruiting interest from Drake, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota State and Illinois State.
GEON HUTCHINS - Detroit, Mich. (Warren Lincoln HS) - Guard
A 6' 4", 180 pound guard from the Motor City, Hutchins will be a focal point in the success of Warren Lincoln High School boys basketball program under head coach Wydell Henry. A 2023 First Team All-Oakland Activities Association (OAA) and All-District selection, he led Oak Park High School with 20 points, five rebounds and two assists and steals per game. As a sophomore he averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.8 assists. Hutchins also plays AAU basketball for The Family 17U EYBL under coaches Durand Shepherd and Eric Evans.
"Geon is a big-time two-way player," explained Jacobson. "He has shown great versatility at the offensive end as a playmaker and scorer. He also wants the tough assignments defensively and takes a ton of pride in guarding the other team's best player. We are most excited about Geon as a young man. He is highly committed and determined to become the best he can possibly be."
Hutchins is the son of Gene Hutchins and Lisa Love. He also received recruiting interest from Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Oakland, Robert Morris, and UIC.
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
