Gonzaga's Graham Ike named to Naismith Player of the Year preseason watch list

The Zags big man picks up another preseason honor

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Preseason accolades continue to roll in for Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike, who was named to the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list on Monday. The watch list is comprised of 50 players who are in contention to win the 2025-26 Naismith Player of the Year award.

Cooper Flagg at Duke won the award last year, while Zach Edey from Purdue won the two years prior. Ike would be the first Gonzaga player to win the award, which went to JJ Redick over Adam Morrison in 2006.

Ike has already been named to the NABC Player of the Year Preseason watch list as well as the Karl Malone Award watch list, given annually to the best power forward in the country. The 6'9 big man from Colorado has also been included on a handful of All-American projections, and was voted to the preseason All-WCC team by the conference coaches as well.

Ike led the Zags in scoring with 17.3 points per game last year, along with 7.3 rebounds and a league-leading 61.5% effective field goal rate, earning All-WCC First Team honors for a second consecutive season.

He'll now be joined in Gonzaga's starting lineup by Braden Huff, who served as his primary backup the past two seasons. Ike and Huff together will form matchup nightmares for opposing teams, as both have shown the ability to step out and play on the perimeter in addition to scoring at extremely high rates around the rim.

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

While Ike won't have the benefit of Ryan Nembhard — one of the most prolific passers in college basketball history — distributing him the ball, the combination of Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supery should more than suffice, as both have proven very capable of navigating pick and rolls and feeding the post.

Additionally, Gonzaga should have a stronger outside shooting squad after adding transfer Adam Miller (42.9% last year at Arizona State) and getting a healthy Steele Venters, who has missed the past two seasons with injuries but was an outstanding shooter in his three years at Eastern Washington.

Ike is one of just two players on Naismith's 50 candidates to come from a non-Power 5 conference, with the other being Saint Louis big man Robbie Avila.

Gonzaga will face quite a few of the candidates for this award, including Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Donovan Dent (UCLA), Josh Dix (Creighton), Jaland Lowe and Otega Oweh (Kentucky), and Labaron Philon (Alabama).