Gonzaga forward Graham Ike ruled out vs. Seattle U due to injury

Bulldogs' leading scorer won't be available for rematch with Redhawks

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga's rematch against Seattle U, which took the Bulldogs to overtime in Spokane two weeks ago, won't feature either one of the Zags' dominant big men in the lineup.

Already without Braden Huff, Gonzaga's frontcourt depth took another hit ahead of Saturday night's contest against the Redhawks, as Graham Ike was ruled out due to ankle soreness.

Ike, who stepped up with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Zags' win over Washington State, got banged up down the stretch of that game in Pullman, Washington. He was considered day-to-day, according to a school spokesperson.

Ike was wearing a boot around his right ankle ahead of Saturday's West Coast Conference matchup with the Redhawks (13-6, 2-4 WCC). Huff was in a similar position on Thursday after he was ruled out for 4-8 weeks due to a knee injury he sustained in practice.

With Ike and Huff out, freshman forward Parker Jefferson was in uniform and warming up with the team. Jefferson was considered available for Gonzaga, according to a spokesperson, though it was unclear whether the Zags planned on playing him any minutes against Seattle U.

Jefferson, a former three-star recruit and top-50 center prospect in the 2025 class, originally opted to use his redshirt year at the start of the season and has yet to play with the Zags.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Parker Jefferson (32). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Ike's injury meant the Zags would have to face a Redhawks team that nearly pulled off an upset in Spokane 15 days prior, without their top two scorers leading the charge. Ike and Huff combined for 52 of their team's 80 points in that comeback win for the Zags, with Huff pacing at 28 points on 11-for-14 shooting. Ike had 24 points and 10 rebounds while going 8-for-15 from the field.

Losing both starting frontcourt players will likely force the Zags' hand at playing sophomore center Ismaila Diagne more minutes, depending on his own health. Head coach Mark Few noted following the Washington State game that Diagne was dealing with a knee injury as well, though it didn't stop the 7-footer from logging 4 minutes in the 86-65 win.

Entering Saturday, Ike was second in the WCC in scoring (18.1) and rebounds (8.8 per game). He was also recording career-highs in assists (2.7 per game) and minutes (28.4). His 11 double-doubles through 18 games ranked No. 4 in the nation.

Tipoff between Gonzaga and Seattle U was set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and KHQ.