by Keith Kelley–27 Apr ’21
Wyoming freshman big man Graham Ike wasn’t going to play this past season. Ike was going to redshirt, and allow his surgically-repaired knee to heel. But, with every student-athlete receiving a free year of eligibility due to the pandemic, Cowboy head coach Jeff Linder brought him along slowly.
Ike played in just 12 games for the Pokes, starting seven of those. He averaged 11 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes per game, and made and immediate impact. Linder said that he had the potential to be the best post player in the Mountain West before it’s all said and done, and he was pleased with what he saw in 12 games.
“His feel for the game is just off the charts. He’s the guy I expected him to be, and I was telling everybody behind the scenes just how good he was, and I think he showed that.” Linder added, “I’m just excited to see him to take that next step, as he gets some practice under his belt. It wasn’t like he had any practice before he got cleared, and for him to come out and do what he did was quite remarkable.”
Wyoming was 14-11 in Linder’s first year as head coach.
