Will Graham Ike play basketball this season?
Jan. 13—LARAMIE — It's been 10 weeks since University of Wyoming men's basketball coach Jeff Linder gave a six-to-eight-week timetable for Graham Ike's lower right leg injury.
Ike—the Mountain West preseason player of the year—averaged 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds as a sophomore last season. He's yet to see the floor this season after his injury was announced three days before the season-opener in November.
The original timetable for his return was based on Ike's ability to return to full strength to avoid re-injuring the leg. While Linder said Ike has been doing conditioning work in the pool for the past several weeks, as of Tuesday, Ike was still sporting a walking boot during the Cowboys' 83-63 road loss to Utah State in Logan.
"We have a good idea of what the timetable is, but it's also, too, with the nature of his injury, it's kind of one of those deals where there's nothing concrete," Linder said during Thursday's news conference. "For him, it's just a matter of just making sure, first and foremost, that he is comfortable. The last thing we're going to do is try and rush him back.
"Even though the timetable might be this, that's the timetable. That doesn't mean that's what's right. For him, he has to be, from a mental standpoint, he has to feel that he's in a good place."
Linder isn't the deciding factor in whether Ike returns to the floor this winter. The decision is completely in Ike's hands, Linder said.
"The last thing I'm going to do, knowing that he's got a long road ahead of him basketball-wise, the last thing I'm going to do is say, 'Hey, the doctors said it was going to be this, so that's what it's going to be,' when, in reality, if the best thing for him is to not play this year, that's what it'll be," Linder said. "If he's able to be comfortable and be able to get back in a few weeks, that's what it's going to be. But at the end of the day, it's going to be his decision, because it's his body and he knows how it feels.
"The last thing I'm going to do is try and rush him back so that allows us to maybe have a better chance to win games. It's nice to have him out there, but at the same time, too, that would be selfish of me."
Ike has traveled with the Cowboys all season. Despite not being able to provide his usual spark on the court, Ike has done everything he can to give his teammates a boost as a supporter on the bench.
"He's about the team," Linder said. "I know it's frustrating when you have to sit back and watch. Being the competitor that he is and seeing the games that we're in and how they're going, he knows he impacts winning. He knows that he can play a big part in that.
"But, those guys that are not playing, they do a really good job of staying engaged. He's always watching and gives his two cents on what he sees. It shows his character. It's been tough, man. It's been tough for him and tough for all of us, but at the same time, too, you just have to continue to plug away and do what's best for the program and do what's best for him."
Ike is at the top of a long list of injured Cowboys. Kenny Foster (back), Hunter Thompson (mononucleosis), Brendan Wenzel (knee) and Ike were all ruled out for Saturday's home game against Boise State. Noah Reynolds (concussion) and Jake Kyman (back) are both questionable, while Xavier DuSell (ankle) will play after landing awkwardly in the second half against Utah State.
The Cowboys are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and have lost 10 of their past 12 games. Injuries have played a major role in that stretch, and the Cowboys have had 11 different starting lineups through the first 16 games.
"It's hard," Linder said. "None of us have really gone through the losing that we've gone through. Hopefully, we can get some guys back and hopefully change the course of things. That's all you need. You just need a spark, and we're kind of looking for that."
The Cowboys (5-11 overall, 0-4 Mountain West) will host red-hot Boise State this weekend. UW will play the Broncos (13-4, 3-1) at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Arena-Auditorium.
"Those guys are playing really well right now," Linder said. "Having watched the Utah State game preparing for Utah State and then the game at UNLV, they're a connected group. Guys last year, they're in different roles, but it's guys that have been in the program and guys that understand what winning looks like.
"... You can see it with the way they're playing right now, they're playing with a lot of confidence. ... They're in a good place right now, and we're still trying to get right."
Alex Taylor covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net or 269-364-3560. Follow him on Twitter at @alex_m_taylor22.
