Mountain West reveals 2020-21 men’s basketball All-Conference teams

FILE - Utah State center Neemias Queta blocks a shot by Boise State forward Mladen Armus during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP)

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

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