Kennesaw State is banking on ‘praying’ to stop Graham Ike during March Madness

On Thursday, March Madness begins. One of the first round games to be on the lookout for is No. 3 Gonzaga taking on No. 14 Kennesaw State in the West Region in Portland, Oregon. Some are anticipating that the Bulldogs will be upset by the Owls.

As a result, Kennesaw State is trying its hardest to find some semblance of good luck, especially going up against Gonzaga senior forward Graham Ike. Head coach Antoine Pettway is calling on God for inspiration, per Theo Lawson of The Spokesman-Review.

“Praying a lot,” Pettway said. “He’s so dynamic. They do a great job of getting the ball in great spots, as well. We got to give ’em a bunch of different looks. But he’s a guy that he works his way into 20 points a game.”

This year, Ike averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, the team leader in both categories.

In the same breath, the Bulldogs will be without guard Braden Huff due to a bizarre knee injury during a “typical play” in practice.

Altogether, Kennesaw State finished the season at 21-13. They are fresh off winning their first-ever Conference USA championship, 71-60 over Louisiana Tech.

This also marks their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2023, they made their first NCAA Tournament appearance as a No.14 seed. Ultimately, they would lose to Xavier 72-67 in the first round.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga has made the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999. Additionally, they have reached two Final Fours in 2017 and 2021, losing twice in the NCAA Championship game to North Carolina and UCLA, respectively.

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