Gonzaga Nation

Graham Ike late season finalist for prestigious college basketball award

Ike is averaging 26 points over his last eight games for Gonzaga
Andy Patton|
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15).
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Erik Smith

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Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga forward Graham Ike's scorching hot play over the last month has not only put the Bulldogs atop the West Coast Conference standings, it has him in consideration for a handful of college basketball's highest honors.

Ike was among 30 players named to the Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Late-Season Team on Thursday, putting him in contention to win the Naismith Trophy - among the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball.

The 6'9 big man is one of 13 seniors on the team and one of just two - alongside Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg - currently listed as a graduate student. Ike is the only player on the team from a non power conference program. The Big 12 leads the way with nine, followed by both the SEC and Big Ten at seven each, and the ACC and Big East each with three.

Gonzaga has faced two players on the team this season in Lendeborg, as well as Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon. The Zags have previously squared off against Purdue guard Braden Smith and UConn forward Alex Karaban, as well as Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, UConn guard Silas Demary, and Arizona guard Jaden Bradley when they played at Saint Mary's, Georgia, and Alabama, respectively.

Ike is currently leading the WCC with 19.9 points per game on 58% shooting from the field. He is also grabbing 8.6 rebounds and dishing out 2.7 assists, while playing a Gonzaga career-high 30 minutes per night.

The Aurora, CO native has been great all season long for the Zags, but has kicked it into high gear as of late, scoring 20+ points in eight consecutive games - seven which were without frontcourt teammate Braden Huff. Over that stretch Ike is averaging 26.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting an absurd 69.1% on twos and 50% (9-18) from three.

Ike has also done this while playing a whopping 34.4 minutes per game, 10 more minutes than his previous career-high at Gonzaga, which was 24.1 MPG in 2023-24.

"His development, not only of his game but his body, his conditioning. He never would’ve been able to play that many minutes," San Francisco coach Chris Gerlufsen said of Ike after the game on Wednesday. "That says a lot about him, how he’s wired and how he’s built. … Playing with a lot of swagger and a lot of confidence and certainly playing like a First Team All-American in my eyes.”

A list of ten semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy will be revealed on March 20 - the first Saturday of the NCAA Tournament - while the four finalists will be announced the following Saturday and the Player of the Year winner on April 5.

Ike and the Zags will return to Spokane to host the Pacific Tigers on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN+.

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Andy Patton
ANDY PATTON

Andy Patton is a diehard fan and alumnus of Gonzaga, graduating in 2013. He’s been the host of the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021, and one of two co-hosts on the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. In addition to covering college basketball, Andy has dabbled in sports writing and podcasting across nearly every major sport dating back to 2017. He was a beat writer covering the Seattle Seahawks from 2017–2021 for USA TODAY, where he also spent one year each covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and had a stint as the lead writer for College Sports Wire. Andy has also written about the NBA, NHL, and MLB for various news outlets through TEGNA, including KREM in Spokane, CBS8 in San Diego, and KING 5 in Seattle. After stints in Spokane and Seattle, Andy is back in Oregon near his hometown with his wife, daughter, and dog.

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