Gonzaga adds preferred walk-on Graydon Lemke to 2024-25 roster

Gonzaga has filled its allotment of 13 scholarships for the upcoming season, but the Bulldogs continue to make additions to the roster.

Graydon Lemke, a 6-foot-11 forward who played at Faith Lutheran in Las Vegas, is joining GU as a preferred walk-on. Lemke announced his commitment Monday on social media.

Lemke is one of three preferred walk-ons, joining 6-3 guard Cade Orness and 6-9 forward Noah Haaland, and five walk-ons overall with Joe Few, son of head coach Mark Few, and Joaquim ArauzMoore.

Lemke is expected to participate in Gonzaga practices, but likely won’t suit up for games this season. The slender forward adds depth to a frontcourt that returns starters Graham Ike and Ben Gregg, 6-10 sophomore Braden Huff, Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi, 7-foot freshman Ismaila Diagne and Haaland, a Lakeland High (Rathdrum, Idaho) product.

The Zags also have 6-7 wing Steele Venters, the 2023 Big Sky Conference MVP who is returning from an ACL injury; 6-6 sophomore Dusty Stromer, who started 15 games and averaged 23.5 minutes last season; and 6-8 junior Jun Seok Yeo, who played limited minutes last year.

Lemke averaged 17 points for Faith Christian, which advanced to the playoffs but came up one win short of qualifying for the 4A state tournament. He showed shooting range, hitting 51 3-pointers and was named league MVP.

Lemke, who missed part of his junior season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, was a finalist for the Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award. His dad, Mike, died in June, 2022, and his mom, Stacia, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at about the same time, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

“Courage is being able to overcome obstacles and being able to overcome difficult things in your path,” Lemke told the newspaper. “We did that together. I have a great support system to lean on. My teammates were part of them. I see them as family.”

Lemke’s older brother, Coleman, is a 6-8 redshirt junior forward at Portland.