LARAMIE -- Graham Ike will miss an extended period of time with a lower-leg injury, the school announced Friday morning.

Wyoming will start the season Monday night when it hosts Colorado Christian. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Mountain Time.

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Ike last month was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year a season after averaging 19.5 points (30th in the nation) and 9.6 rebounds (21st) a game while helping lead the Cowboys to the 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

The 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward from Aurora, Colo., along with guard Hunter Maldonado, was named First Team All-Mountain West this preseason.

Ike is one of seven forwards listed on the Wyoming roster. Hunter Thompson, Jeremiah Oden, Jake Kyman, Nate Barnhart, Max Agbonkpolo and true freshman Caden Powell will be expected to fill in for the Cowboys' big man.

Those are big shoes to fill, too.

"There's really no one in the country that, one on one, I don't think can really guard him," Wyoming's third-year head coach Jeff Linder said at the team's media day in October. "... There's never been a post player in the last 25 years that's been used in that many possessions in the post."

Ike started 33 games last season. His best offensive output came against his hometown team, netting 35 points in a victory over Denver. In a road win at San Jose State, Ike pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds. He scored more than 25 points in a game nine times and was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com.

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