How Graham Ike's G League Combine performance could affect his NBA draft stock
Under Mark Few, Gonzaga has consistently been among the best places for post players to develop professionally, with six current big men playing in the NBA: Brandon Clarke , Zach Collins , Chet Holmgren , Kelly Olynyk , Domantas Sabonis , and Drew Timme .
After a storied career in Spokane, Graham Ike is hoping to add his name to that list this year.
Ike - who is the first Zag and fourth WCC player to record over 2,000 points and 1,00 rebounds in his career - wrapped up a productive weekend at the G League Combine in Chicago , showcasing his physical strength and touch around the rim in a pair of scrimmages in front of hundreds of NBA scouts and team personnel.
However, the biggest benefit to Ike's draft stock wasn't what he did on the court, but rather how he measured off of it.
Gonzaga's big man was measured at 6'9 3/4 barefoot, taller than expected, and his 7'5.25 wingspan is absurdly high - a huge win for Ike, who was widely considered too small to be an impactful post player at the next level.
Ike also had some of the biggest hands at the combine as well, leading to a standing reach of 9'2, which more than makes up for his relative lack of height for his position.
In fact, according to Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress, Ike's physical measurements most closely resemble those of Steven Adams , who has carved out an outstanding 12-year NBA career thanks to his toughness, physicality, screen setting, and offensive rebounding.
Scrimmage results
Ike further helped his draft stock with his performance in the second scrimmage, where he dropped 16 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes, while shooting 3-5 on twos, 1-1 from three, and 7-8 from the free throw line.
Ike will need to prove his outside shot can be a weapon at the NBA level in order to truly stick, and his lateral mobility makes him tough to project as a switchable big at the game's highest level, but it's hard to bet against a guy who has improved so dramatically throughout his college career - especially when his physical tools are now quantifiably excellent.
The big man was not among the five players invited from the G League combine to the NBA draft combine, which takes place May 10-17 in Chicago, but his showing over the weekend will get him more attention from scouts and analysts over the next six weeks before the draft officially gets underway on Tuesday, June 23.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as How Graham Ike's G League Combine performance could affect his NBA draft stock .
