LOGAN, Utah – Utah State junior center Neemias Queta has been selected as the Mountain West Player of the Year by members of the media covering teams within the league. The media also voted Queta a unanimous selection for the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Queta led the Aggies to the second seed of the Mountain West Tournament for the third consecutive year and was the only player in the MW to average a double-double during league games, turning in 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, leading the MW on the glass. Queta also led the league in conference games in field goal percentage (.584) and blocks (3.5), ranked second in defensive rebounds per game (7.37), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.00), ninth in points per game (15.4), 11th in steals (1.2) and 12th in assists (2.8). Queta was at his best against the top teams in the league, averaging 26.5 points and 15.7 rebounds per game against San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State and Nevada.
Over the last six games, Queta has recorded a double-double in each contest and is averaging 21.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game over that stretch. On the year, Queta’s averages of 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.8 assists per game make him one of just six players in the NCAA since 1992-93 to average more than 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game. Queta is the only player in Mountain West history with that stat line. Queta is the only player in the nation this year with 65 or more assists and 65 or more blocks, totaling 70 dimes and 75 rejections on the year.
Queta was one of three Aggies on all-conference teams, as he was named to the all-MW first team. Junior forward Justin Bean earned second-team honors, while junior guard Brock Miller was named honorable mention.
Bean finished his MW campaign with four straight double-doubles, averaging 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in league play. Bean’s rebounding numbers ranked fifth in the Mountain West, while he also ranked fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.89), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (4.84) and seventh in steals (1.37).
Before missing each of the last two games because of an injury, Miller was averaging 10.3 points per game in league play and had knocked down 42 3-point field goals to lead all Aggie shooters from distance. Miller shot 38.9 percent (42-of-108) from behind the arc to rank second in the MW and ranked fifth in the league with 2.5 triples per game.
In other awards, Colorado State’s Niko Medved was named the MW Coach of the Year, Nevada’s Grant Sherfield was named the Newcomer of the Year and Wyoming’s Marcus Williams was named MW Freshman of the Year. Utah State freshman guard Rollie Worster received one vote for MW Freshman of the Year and was the only other freshman in the league in the running for the award.
The official awards for the 2020-21 season will be released by the Mountain West on Tuesday, March 9, at noon.
Utah State opens its back-to-back MW Tournament title defense on Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m. (MT), facing the winner of #7 UNLV and #10 Air Force in the quarterfinals. A victory would move the Aggies on to the semifinals on Friday, March 12, at 10 p.m. (MT). Both of those games can be seen on the CBS Sports Network (Xfinity Ch. 269/753 HD, Dish Ch. 158, DirevTV Ch. 221), while the MW Championship game will be on CBS on Saturday, March 13, at 4 p.m. (MT).
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2020-21 Media All-Conference Awards
All-MW First Team
Neemias Queta, Utah State (156 points) David Roddy, Colorado State (149) Matt Mitchell, San Diego State (139) Grant Sherfield, Nevada (134), Derrick Alston, Jr., Boise State (133)
All-MW Second Team
Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State (96) Jordan Schakel, San Diego State (96) Bryce Hamilton, UNLV (92), Orlando Robinson, Fresno State (70) Justin Bean, Utah State (44)
All-MW Third Team
Makuach Maluach, New Mexico (35) Desmond Cambridge, Nevada (35), A.J. Walker, Air Force (33) Abu Kigab, Boise State (27), Marcus Williams, Wyoming (21)
All-MW Honorable Mention
Richard Washington, San Jose State (17); Nathan Mensah, San Diego State (14); Hunter Maldonado, Wyoming (12); Brock Miller, Utah State (7); Mbacke Diong, UNLV (5); Trey Pulliam, San Diego State (3); Devonaire Doutrive, Boise State (2).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Neemias Queta, Utah State (8)
Others receiving votes: David Roddy, Colorado State (2); Matt Mitchell, San Diego State (1)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Niko Medved, Colorado State (7)
Others receiving votes: Brian Dutcher, San Diego State (4)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Neemias Queta, Utah State (11)
Others receiving votes: none
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Grant Sherfield, Nevada (11)
Others receiving votes: none
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Marcus Williams, Wyoming (10)
Others receiving votes: Rollie Worster, Utah State (1)