Graham Ike earns well-deserved All-American nod for Gonzaga Bulldogs

Six years and more than 2,500 points after making his collegiate debut, Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike finally earned recognition as an AP All-American on Tuesday.

Ike was named a Third Team All-American, joining Houston freshman guard (and former Gonzaga recruiting target) Kingston Flemings, Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon, Florida junior forward Thomas Haugh, and Texas Tech sophomore guard Christian Anderson.

Ike was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2023-24, his first season with Gonzaga, but this was his first year making one of the three teams - and it comes on the heels of a fantastic season shouldering the load for Mark Few and the Zags.

The 6'9 graduate senior heads into the NCAA Tournament averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 61.9% on twos, 34.8% from three, and 78.7% from the free throw line. His 14 double-doubles ranks 16th in all of college basketball, and his 16 games posting at least 20 points and 10 rebounds ties the great Drew Timme for the most in Gonzaga history.

Ike's numbers are not the only reason he earned his All-American nod this season, however, as he took on a massive load over the past two months following the knee injury to Braden Huff - who was averaging 17.8 points on elite efficiency through 18 games before going down.

Ike then had to step into a bigger role offensivley - while drawing far more attention from opposing defenses - and he did so seamlessly, bumping his numbers to 22.5 points in 34.7 minutes per game, while amazingly improving his efficiency. In 12 games without Huff, Ike shot 66% on two pointers, 38.9% from three, and 85% from the free throw line while leading the Zags to a 10-2 record including a win over Saint Mary's and two wins over Santa Clara.

While this is certainly the biggest accolade of Ike's illustrious career, it's far from the only one. The Aurora, CO native was named WCC Player of the Year earlier this month, while earning All-WCC First Team honors for the third time, and WCC Tournament MVP for the second time.

Ike is also among five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given annually to the best center in college basketball. He's joined on the list by Florida' Reuben Chinyelu, North Carolina's Henri Veesaar, St. John's Zuby Ejiofor, and Kansas' Flory Bidunga.

The AP All-American First Team includes three freshmen - Duke forward Cameron Boozer, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr - as well as Michigan graduate senior Yaxel Lendeborg and Texas Tech senior JT Toppin.

The Second Team includes Iowa State senior forward Joshua Jefferson, Purdue senior guard Braden Smith, Michigan State junior guard Jeremy Fears Jr, Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler, and North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson.

Ike and No. 3 Gonzaga will take on No. 14 Kennesaw State on Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 PM PT in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be broadcast on TBS.