Gonzaga’s Graham Ike named preseason Third Team All-American by CBS Sports

The slow trickle of national preseason recognition that could come Graham Ike’s way over the next two weeks began Tuesday morning.

Gonzaga’s senior forward was named a Preseason Third Team All-American by CBS Sports, rounding a five-man group that also included St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor, Kansas State’s PJ Haggerty, Houston’s Milan Uzan and North Carolina State wing Darrion Williams.

Ike declined to enter the transfer portal or NBA Draft after a junior season that saw him lead the Zags in both scoring and rebounding at 17.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game.

He earned All-West Coast Conference First Team honors after posting 22 double-digit scoring games, hitting 20 points on four occasions and leading the conference in field goal percentage at 59.8%. Ike also shot a career-best 80.5% from the free-throw line and posted the top assist average of his career, delivering 1.4 per game.

Ike and frontcourt partner Braden Huff, along with coach Mark Few, will represent the Zags at WCC Media Day this Thursday at Resorts World in Las Vegas.

“Ike has become the best version of himself at Gonzaga,” CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter wrote in a capsule accompanying Ike’s selection. “He is an utter mauler who overwhelms opposing big men with power and finesse in the paint. Even without the brilliant Ryan Nembhard to spoon-feed him good look after good look, Ike should still dominate offensively in this Zags’ scheme.

“Oh, and he drilled a career-high 13 3-pointers, splashed 81% of his free throws and posted the best assist rate of his tenure last year. Ike feels like an utter lock for WCC Player of the Year.”

The CBS Sports Preseason All-America First Team featured Purdue point guard Braeden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who both played on the Boilermakers team that bounced Gonzaga from the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. A future Gonzaga opponent, UCLA point guard Donovan Dent, also made the list, along with Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson and Texas Tech forward JT Toppin.

The Second Team included a pair of freshmen – Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa – along with Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz and Kentucky guard Otega Oweh. The Zags will tangle with Oweh for the second time in as many years when they travel to play the Wildcats Dec. 6 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.