Graham Ike is likely one of the high gamers within the West however Gonzaga coach Mark Few feels the large man is not receiving the correct degree of respect.
Ike will look to put up a 20-point outing for the eighth consecutive look when the No. 11 Bulldogs go to San Francisco on Wednesday night time in West Coast Convention play. The competition shall be held on the Chase Middle, house of the Golden State Warriors.
Gonzaga shall be seeking to defeat the Dons for the thirty fifth consecutive time after surviving an in depth name final month.
Ike registered 21 factors and a season-best 15 rebounds as Gonzaga (25-2, 13-1 WCC) recorded a 94-86 highway win over Santa Clara on Saturday night time to overhaul the Broncos for first place within the convention race.
Ike has scored 30 or extra factors in three of his final seven appearances, together with matching his profession better of 35 factors in an 81-61 highway win over Oregon State on Feb. 7. The fifth-year senior has made 31 of 43 pictures (72.1%) over the previous three video games.
“I believe none of us can take 21 and 15 without any consideration or the 30-(level video games),” Few mentioned. “I believe it is time he begins seeing his title pop up on first-team All-American or second-team All-American (forecasts).
“I do know we’re all obsessive about these (standout) freshmen, however he is actually been delivering night-in, night-out on the highest degree. I believe he wants to begin garnering some consideration, not less than nationally.”
Ike is averaging 19.8 factors and eight.7 rebounds. He missed the Bulldogs’ 68-66 house win over the Dons on Jan. 24, the ultimate contest of a three-game absence brought on by an ankle harm.
Adam Miller stood out towards Santa Clara by scoring a season-high 21 factors. Miller is averaging a career-low 7.7 factors within the fifth season of a four-stop school profession.
“We talked about how unselfish our group is,” Miller mentioned. “Any day is usually a canine’s day. Coach reminds us of that on a regular basis, however day-after-day you have to present up and do your position, nevertheless that appears, and I simply tried to do my job and my teammates undoubtedly did their jobs.”
The Bulldogs have been with out Braden Huff (left knee) for a month, and Few’s replace on Monday revealed that Huff (17.8 ppg) will not return previous to the NCAA Event.
“We mentioned 4 to eight weeks, it will be not less than eight,” Few mentioned on his weekly present. “He is nonetheless on crutches. … He is an extended methods away from getting again.”
San Francisco (15-13, 7-8) figures to realize some help by taking part in within the bigger Chase Middle versus its cozy on-campus gymnasium.
Regardless of by no means main, the Dons gave Gonzaga a battle final month in Spokane, Wash.
The Dons had been down by eight earlier than Vukasin Masic made consecutive 3-pointers within the remaining 1:20. Nevertheless, a go-ahead 3-point try by Junjie Wang caromed off the backboard and rim with lower than two seconds left.
USF’s Legend Smiley matched his season excessive of 18 factors in that contest.
“We’ve got an unbelievable alternative on Wednesday night time on the Chase Middle towards a group that clearly is a juggernaut,” Dons coach Chris Gerlufsen mentioned of the rematch. “We felt we performed fairly properly towards them the primary time.
“We will roll our sleeves up and get to work Wednesday night time and benefit from the chance at hand.”
The setback vs. Gonzaga was the start of a stretch by which the Don misplaced 5 of six video games. They halted that funk with a 92-79 highway win at San Diego on Sunday.
Masic scored a season-best 22 factors towards the Toreros whereas David Fuchs contributed 21 factors and a season-best-tying 13 rebounds.
San Francisco’s most up-to-date win over Gonzaga got here in 2012, a 66-65 house choice.
–Subject Degree Media
