LOS ANGELES – Gonzaga's
Graham Ike was named to the 2026 Men's National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award presented Principal at the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Saturday.
Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All America Team and Wooden Award Trophy, recognizing the Most Outstanding College Basketball Player in the United States.
The 2026 Wooden Award Men's National Ballot includes two graduate students, two seniors, two juniors three sophomores (including one redshirt sophomore), and six freshmen. The ballot represents 14 different universities, with Texas Tech featuring multiple student athletes.
All players on the ballot have been certified by their respective universities as meeting or exceeding the qualifications set forth by Coach Wooden when the award was established.
Ike was recently named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. Ike ranks first in the WCC in scoring (19.7), second in rebounding (8.3), and first in field goal percentage (.564). In WCC play, he is first in scoring (21.9), in field goal percentage (.613), and second in rebounds (8.2). His 13 double-doubles this season ranks 17th in the nation. He had two games with nine rebounds with double-digit scoring. He's reached double-digit scoring in all but one game. Ike recorded his double-double of season in the win at Santa Clara, passing Drew Timme for the most games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (16) by a Gonzaga player in the last 30 seasons. Ike leads WCC with three 30-point games this season.
Ike is first in the nation among active players with 2,492 career points. His 1,118 rebounds rank second. No other player has 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Ike is eight points from being only the 86th player in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 2,500 points in a career. Ike also leads the country with 958 field goals made in his career and is fourth with 531 made free-throws. His 44-career double-doubles rank third.
Voting for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award All America Team presented by Principal will open on March 16 and close on March 28. During that time, voters will evaluate each candidate's complete body of work throughout the season, including performances in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, to determine the most outstanding players in college basketball.
The Wooden Award Men's and Women's All America Teams, along with the Men's and Women's Top Five finalists for the Wooden Award Trophy, will be announced on April 4 during the Men's Final Four on ESPN, building anticipation for the sport's most prestigious individual honor.
The Golden Anniversary celebration will culminate on April 10 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. That evening, with the Wooden Award Winners from the Top Five finalists in attendance, the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® presented by Principal® will be announced live at 6 p.m. PT during a nationally televised broadcast on ESPNU. The event will also recognize the 2026 Legends of Coaching Award recipient, Matt Painter of Purdue, as part of a historic fiftieth anniversary celebration honoring excellence both on and off the court.
John R. Wooden Award® 2025-26 Men's National Ballot (Alphabetical)
Name – School – Class- Position – Height
Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas – Freshman – G – 6-3
Christian Anderson – Texas Tech – Sophomore- G – 6-3
Cameron Boozer – Duke – Freshman – F – 6-9
AJ Dybansta – BYU – Freshman – F – 6-9
Jeremy Fears Jr. – Michigan State – Redshirt Sophomore- G – 6-2
Kingston Flemings – Houston – Freshman – G – 6-4
Thomas Haugh – Florida – Junior- F – 6-9
Graham Ike – Gonzaga – Grad Student – F – 6-9
Joshua Jefferson – Iowa State – Senior – F – 6-9
Yaxel Lendeborg – Michigan – Grad Student- F- 6-9
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama – Sophomore – G – 6-4
Braden Smith – Purdue – Senior – G – 6-0
JT Toppin – Texas Tech – Junior – F – 6-9
Keaton Wagler – Illinois – Freshman – G – 6-6
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina – Freshman – F – 6-10
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient.
Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007, Candace Parker 2007 and
2008, Maya Moore 2009 and 2011, Chiney Ogwumike 2014, and last year's recipients Juju Watkins of USC and Cooper Flagg of Duke.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to universities' general scholarship funds and nonprofit enterprises in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients, and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. The John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All-Americans, and attending coaches. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the JRWAF serves as an angel organization, independently guiding the funding of educational, athletic, and philanthropic initiatives. A dedicated board of directors leads the Foundation's efforts, committed to advancing John R. Wooden's legacy and the timeless principles of his Pyramid of Success.
