Gonzaga moves up in way-too-early college basketball rankings

Should Graham Ike opt to play a fifth season of college basketball in Spokane, Gonzaga would be considered a top-25 team in the country heading into the 2025-26 season.

Well, at least according to Jon Rothstein. The college basketball insider moved the Bulldogs up to No. 24 in his daily offseason rankings, this time with Ike's name in the "projected starting 5" category and not in the "key losses" section like it was in Rothstein's first version of his offseason rankings. Rothstein's version of the Zags without Ike checked in at No. 40 out of 45 teams in his original rankings, which were released right after Florida beat Houston in the national championship game.

Ike isn't Gonzaga's only potential returnee who's yet to make a decision about next season. Based on Rothstein's outlook, though, the Bulldogs as currently constructed are projected to trot out a starting five of Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, Steele Venters, Braden Huff and Ike. Incoming freshman Davis Fogle and potential returners Ismaila Diagne and Emmanuel Innocenti are projected to round out Gonzaga's rotation.

Ike, who was not honored during senior night festivities, has one more year of eligibility to exercise if he decides to stay in college rather than go pro. He earned All-WCC honors this past season as Gonzaga's leading scorer with 17.3 points per game. If he opts to come back to Spokane for a third season, he could reunite in the frontcourt with Huff, who averaged more than 15 points per game while starting next to Ike for the final three games of the season.

Gonzaga's standing in Rothstein's daily rankings is more consistent with how other credible media personnel and outlets view the Bulldogs at this point in the spring. ESPN has the Zags at No. 22 in an updated version of its way-too-early power rankings. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish has been sneaking the Bulldogs into his Top 25 and 1 rankings on a daily basis by putting them at No. 26.

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