Gonzaga forward Graham Ike among 25 finalists for John R. Wooden Award

Ike is averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in his final season with the Zags

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Erik Smith

The accolades keep pouring in for Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike in the midst of a stellar final season in Spokane.

The 6'9 big man was one of 25 players named to the John R. Wooden Award midseason watch list, after having been named to the top 50 preseason list back in November.

The Wooden Award is given annually to the best player in college basketball, and the National Ballot will feature 15 finalists before a winner is crowned during the Final Four.

Ike is the lone player on the list not playing at a power conference program, and he is one of just five true post players, joining Cameron Boozer (Duke), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue), JT Toppin (Texas Tech) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina).

Ike has appeared in 16 of Gonzaga's 17 games and is a huge reason for the team's 16-1 start to the year. The 6'9 big man is averaging 27.8 minutes per night along with 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and a career-high 2.8 assists. He leads the WCC in defensive rebounds and leads Gonzaga in rebounds and free throws, while coming in second in points per game and third in assists.

The Colorado native often shines brightest when the stakes are high, delivering a season-high 28 points with 10 rebounds and three assists in a rout over Kentucky in Nashville, along with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists against UCLA in Seattle. He has recorded nine double-doubles on the year and only failed to score in double figures once, in Gonzaga's disastrous loss to Michigan in the Players Era Championship.

Ike, who began his career at Wyoming before transferring to Gonzaga ahead of the 2023-24 season, is one of two active members of the 2,000-point club, alongside fellow nominee Tucker DeVries from Indiana, and he is one of 134 total college basketball players with over 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Gonzaga has faced two other players on the Wooden Award midseason watch list: Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg and Alabama guard Labaron Philon. Other notable names include former Gonzaga recruiting target Kingston Flemings, now a freshman at Houston, as well as former Saint Mary's and current Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, Purdue guard Braden Smith, UConn forward Alex Karaban, and a pair of Arizona Wildcats in point guard Jaden Bradley and freshman forward Koa Peat.

Gonzaga's season rolls on Thursday night at the McCarthey Athletic Center against the Santa Clara Broncos, in a battle of 4-0 teams in WCC play.

Tip-off is slated for 8:30 PM PT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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