Gonzaga's Graham Ike set to miss second straight game due to injury

Bulldogs won't have their Wooden Award-contending forward in the fold once again

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

Gonzaga forward Graham Ike has been ruled out for Wednesday's home game against Pepperdine due to ankle soreness, according to a school spokesperson.

It'll be the second straight game the Bulldogs (19-1, 7-0 WCC) won't have their Wooden Award-contending forward in the lineup for a West Coast Conference game. Ike, who was sporting a brace around his right ankle during pregame warm-ups, also missed Saturday's 71-50 win over Seattle U because of the same ailment, which arose down the stretch of the Zags' road victory over Washington State on Thursday.

Following the Zags' win over the Redhawks, Mark Few assured that the injury wasn't a long-term concern and that Ike was considered day-to-day.

"Hopefully there's some swelling in there," Few said regarding Ike's injury on Saturday. "He's always had problems with those feet, so everybody is just a little bit cautious."

Caution for the 6-foot-9 forward with a notable injury history could've played a role in sitting him out against a team Gonzaga beat by 40 earlier this season. Despite a relatively quiet night for Ike's standards (13 points, 10 rebounds), the Zags cruised to a 96-56 victory over the Waves in their WCC opener from Malibu, Califronia, as Tyon Grant-Foster and Jalen Warley combined for 33 points off the bench while Braeden Smith finished with 15 points and eight assists to help Gonzaga extend its winning streak over Pepperdine to 50.

If the Zags are to continue their run of success over the Waves, they'll have to do so without their dominant frontcourt duo leading the charge. In addition to Ike being out, Braden Huff is also set to miss Wednesday's game — and several more after it — due to a knee injury he sustained prior to the Cougars game in Pullman, Washington. According to the school, Huff is set to miss up to eight weeks.

With Ike and Huff out, the Zags could potentially look to freshman forward Parker Jefferson for some extra size off the bench. Jefferson, a former three-star recruit and top-50 center prospect in the 2025 class, was warming up with his teammates ahead of Wednesday night's tipoff. He originally opted to use his redshirt year at the start of the season and has yet to play in a game with the Zags.

Sophomore center Ismaila Diagne will definitely serve a larger role than what he was he accustomed to in nonconference play. In his first career start against Seattle U, the 7-footer recorded three points, eight rebounds and a block in a season-high 20 minutes of action.

Entering Wednesday, 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). At the time of his injury, his 11 double-doubles through 18 games ranked No. 4 in the nation.

Tipoff between the Zags and Waves from McCarthey Athletic Center is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+/KHQ.