2019-20 Mountain West Preseason Basketball Awards
Who does our staff like this year?
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Basketball season is here.
Mountain West media days are fast approaching for basketball and that means it is preseason awards season time and our staff put together preseason accolades.
We predict the order of finish, best player, best coach, newcomers, defenders and more.
Coach of the Year
Craig Smith, Utah State – Smith had an amazing year as his first in the Mountain West at Utah State. Smith got this team ticking after the midway point and now he returns all of the key players and the Aggies are the runaway favorite. Typically the best team gets the coach of the year award and that is how this season is taking place.
Player of the Year
Sam Merrill, Utah State – Another fairly obvious choice as he was the player of the year last season, so that means he will get the nod as the season gets underway next month. It helps when he averaged 20 points per game and his surrounding talent is back, so it will take a big effort from others to supplant Merrill if he has similar numbers compared to last year.
Newcomer of the Year
JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico – This one is a bit interesting since Lyle was expected to play last year with the Lobos but he suffered a season-ending injury. Now, he is healthy and could very well be a key factor for New Mexico’s bid to be in play for the Mountain West title.
He comes from Ohio State where he averaged 11 points per game in each of his two years and being around the program in New Mexico is an advantage in naming him as the best newcomer.
Defensive player of the Year
Neemias Queta, Utah State – This was the only award that was unanmious among all of the awards. Queta came on the scene as a newcomer and took the league by storm and is a reason why the Aggies won the Mountain West and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. With another year with this team and spending, some time with Portugal’s FIBA team should mean he will be even a bigger force.
All-Conference
| First team |
| G Malachi Flynn, SDSU |
| G Sam Merrill, Utah State |
| F Nico Carvacho, CSU |
| F Neemias Queta, Utah State |
| F Nate Grimes, Fresno State |
| Second team |
| G Derrick Alston, Boise State |
| G Amauri Hardy, UNLV |
| G JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico |
| F Vance Jackson, New Mexico |
| F Lavelle Scottie, Air Force |
Order of Finish
| 1. Utah State |
| 2. San Diego State |
| 3. New Mexico |
| 4. Boise State |
| 5. Nevada |
| 6. Fresno State |
| 7. UNLV |
| 8. Air Force |
| 9. Colorado State |
| 10. Wyoming |
| 11. San Jose State |
