Gonzaga’s Graham Ike named to NABC Preseason Player of the Year watch list

Bulldogs senior appears poised for a big 2024-25 campaign

Cole Forsman | Oct 30, 2024

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

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Gonzaga Bulldogs

Leading up to their highly-anticipated season-opener against No. 8 Baylor, Gonzaga men’s basketball team members continue to earn national recognition before the 2024-25 campaign tips off.

Senior forward Graham Ike became the third Zag to be tabbed to a preseason watch list on Wednesday, as the All-WCC post was one of the 20 candidates that were selected for the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I Player of the Year watch list that released Wednesday.

Ike, who also appeared on the 2025 Naismith Trophy watch list as well, earned his way onto a handful of prestigious award lists after being one of the most productive and skilled low-post bigs in the country to end the 2023-24 campaign. The 6-foot-9 Colorado native averaged 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 71.5% at the rim, per hoop-math.com. Ike’s 123.0 offensive rating was second-best in the country behind Zach Edey (128.8), according to KenPom.com.

Ike also became the sixth player in West Coast Conference history to lead the league in both scoring and field goal percentage in the same season (conference games only). He scored 20 or more points in 11 of the 16 league games, including the last seven contests.

A former Gonzaga big is also in contention for the NABC Player of the Year award out of the gate: Oumar Ballo. The Indiana big man was a two-time All-Pac-12 first-team selection while at Arizona, where he developed into a capable low-post scorer under former Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd. Now in Bloomington, Indiana, the redshirt senior looks to help the Hoosiers get back to the NCAA Tournament under Mike Woodson.

Mark Few could run into both his former player and coach at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over the Thanksgiving holiday week. Ballo is one of four players from the preseason NABC Player of the Year watch list that could cross paths with Gonzaga this season. The Bulldogs will see Baylor’s Norchad Omier first, then potentially Ballo and even Arizona guard Caleb Love on the last day of the Atlantis tournament.

Gonzaga will also battle UConn’s Alex Karaban when it heads to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14 to take on the back-to-back champions and their stud forward.

The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year will be announced the week of the 2025 Men's Final Four. The award is selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches.

Two other seniors from the 2024-25 Gonzaga roster are up for prestigious honors as well. Ryan Nembhard was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list, while Michael Ajayi was tabbed to the Julius Erving watch list.

2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
Oumar Ballo (Indiana)
Johni Broome (Auburn)
L.J. Cryer (Houston)
Johnell Davis (Arkansas)
RJ Davis (North Carolina)
Hunter Dickinson (Kansas)
Cooper Flagg (Duke)
Graham Ike (Gonzaga)
Kam Jones (Marquette)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
Alex Karaban (Connecticut)
Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State)
Caleb Love (Arizona)
Norchad Omier (Baylor)
Kadary Richmond (St. John's)
Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest)
Mark Sears (Alabama)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)