The Wooden Award national ballot includes Gonzaga Bulldogs graduate forward Graham Ike as a candidate for the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Wooden Award Trophy.
It’s been a season of dominance for Ike, averaging a West Coast Conference-leading 19.7 points per game on a 56.4 field goal percentage and a second-highest 8.3 rebounds per game, while putting together 13 double-doubles. That’s tied for No. 17 in the nation, which helped put him in consideration for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
He’s also the country’s active leading scorer at 2,492 career points and second in the nation with 1,118 rebounds. Starting his career with the Wyoming Cowboys in the Mountain West Conference back in 2020-21, Ike has had steady success throughout his illustrious career and grown into a reliable three-level scoring option for the Zags.
Here are the 14 other Wooden Award candidates from across the country outside of Ike:
Arkansas Razorbacks’ Darius Acuff Jr.Texas Tech Red Raiders’ Christian Anderson and JT ToppinDuke Blue Devils’ Cameron BoozerBYU Cougars’ AJ DybantsaMichigan State Spartans’ Jeremy Fears Jr.Houston Cougars’ Kingston FlemingsFlorida Gators’ Thomas HaughIowa State Cyclones’ Joshua JeffersonMichigan Wolverines’ Yaxel LendeborgAlabama Crimson Tide’s Labaron Philon Jr.Purdue Boilermakers’ Braden SmithIllinois Fighting Illini’s Keaton WaglerNorth Carolina Tar Heels’ Caleb Wilson
The favorite to win the high honor is clearly Duke Blue Devils freshman forward Cameron Boozer, but the recognition for Ike as one of the top-15 players in all of college basketball is still meaningful.
The Wooden Award All-American Teams and Top Five finalists will be announced on April 4 during the NCAA Final Four on ESPN. The Wooden Award winner will then be revealed on April 10 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, live on ESPNU.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
