MOUNTAIN WEST REVEALS 2020-21 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
LAS VEGAS – The Mountain West announced its 2020-21 men’s basketball awards Tuesday. The league’s 11 head coaches voted on the All-Conference teams, as well as the coach, player, defensive player, newcomer, sixth man and freshman honors.
For the second year in a row, San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher was named the MW Steve Fisher Coach of the Year, while Aztec Matt Mitchell was selected as the MW Player of the Year. Utah State’s Neemias Queta was voted as the Defensive Player of the Year and Wyoming’s Marcus Williams was recognized as Freshman of the Year. Nevada’s Grant Sherfield was chosen as Newcomer, while Utah State’s Alphonso Anderson is the Sixth Man of the Year, respectively.
Dutcher guided San Diego State to a 14-3 mark in Conference play and its second-straight MW regular-season title, eighth overall in program history. This season, the Aztecs spent six weeks in the national polls and have a 2-0 record against nationally-ranked teams. SDSU enters the 2021 Air Force Reserve MW Men’s Basketball Championship with an 11-game win streak, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in the nation.
Mitchell is the second Aztec in a row and fifth all-time to be named MW Player of the Year. Mitchell finished the regular season averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in league action, while shooting 45.0 percent from the floor. The senior registered 12 double-digit scoring efforts, including four with 20 or more points against MW opponents.
This is the second MW Defensive Player of the Year honor for Queta, who also collected the accolade in 2019. Queta led the Mountain West in rebounds (197) and blocks (66). The junior is the only player in the league this season to average at least 10 rebounds per game in MW play.
Williams finished the Conference season with a team-leading 13.6 points per game, while shooting 40.2 percent from the field. The freshman recorded 12 double-figure scoring efforts, including a 28-point performance against Nevada (1/24).
Sherfield is the fourth Wolf Pack player in the last five seasons to be named the MW Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore averaged a league-leading 18.2 points and 6.6 assists per game in MW play. Sherfield netted nine 20-point games during Conference action.
Anderson appeared in all 19 Mountain West games for the Aggies. He averaged 8.1 points and 2.8 boards per game off the bench, while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor. Anderson scored a season-high 14 points in the first game against New Mexico (1/6).
2020-21 All-Mountain West Men’s Basketball Team
First Team
Derrick Alston, Jr., Sr., G, Boise State
David Roddy, So., F, Colorado State
Grant Sherfield, So., G, Nevada
Matt Mitchell, Sr., F, San Diego State
Neemias Queta, Jr., C, Utah State
Second Team
Abu Kigab, Sr., F, Boise State
Isaiah Stevens, So., G, Colorado State
Orlando Robinson, So., F, Fresno State
Jordan Schakel, Sr., G, San Diego State
Bryce Hamilton, Jr., G, UNLV
Justin Bean, Jr., F, Utah State
Third Team
A.J Walker, Jr., G, Air Force
Desmond Cambridge Jr., Jr., G, Nevada
Makuach Maluach, Sr., G, New Mexico
David Jenkins, Jr., Jr., G, UNLV
Marcus Williams, Fr., G, Wyoming
Defensive Team
Nathan Mensah, Jr., F, San Diego State
Matt Mitchell, Sr., F, San Diego State
Cheikh Mbacke Diong, Sr., F, UNLV
Marco Anthony, Jr., G, Utah State
Neemias Queta, Jr., C, Utah State
Honorable Mention
Adam Thistlewood, Jr., F, Colorado State
Nathan Mensah, Jr., F, San Diego State
Richard Washington, Sr., G, San José State
Hunter Maldonado, Jr., G, Wyoming
Player of the Year: Matt Mitchell, Sr., F, San Diego State
Defensive Player of the Year: Neemias Queta, Jr., C, Utah State
Freshman of the Year: Marcus Williams, G, Wyoming
Newcomer of the Year: Grant Sherfield, So., G, Nevada
Sixth Man of the Year: Alphonso Anderson, Sr., F, Utah State
Coach of the Year: Brian Dutcher, San Diego State
–mw–
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