Queta, Medved earn top All-Mountain West honors from media

Mar. 8—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Utah State center Neemias Queta has been voted the Mountain West men's basketball Player of the Year as determined by select members of media covering the conference's 22nd season.

See all awards at bottom

The 7-foot junior from Barreirro, Portugal, was also the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year — the third consecutive season he has collected that honor in media voting. Queta averaged this season 14.7 points per game, 9.9 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and shot 56.4% from the field. He received eight of the possible 11 votes — one from each of the league's 11 markets — for top player, with Colorado State sophomore forward David Roddy (two) and San Diego State senior guard Matt Mitchell (one) receiving the others.

Queta, Roddy and Mitchell were joined on the First Team with Boise State senior guard Derrick Alston, Jr., and the league's unanimous pick for Newcomer of the Year, Nevada sophomore point guard Grant Sherfield.

Colorado State's third year coach Niko Medved was voted Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a 17-5 overall record (14-4 Mountain West). CSU was the only team in the league that was not swept in any two-game series by a league opponent in the conference's modified 20-game schedule format for the 2020-21 season. Medved received seven votes for the award while 2020 Coach of the Year Brian Dutcher, who led his team to a second-consecutive league championship, received the other four votes.

Wyoming's Marcus Williams was near unanimous pick for Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.9 points and 4.0 assists per game. He received 10 votes. Utah State guard Rollie Worster earned one.

Voting was conducted independent of Mountain West oversight by media directly covering teams in all 11 league markets. In markets where more than one outlet covers a team closely, beat reporters from competing publications or outlets submitted a joint ballot, giving each market one vote.

Voters ranked players 1 through 15 for first-, second- and third-team All-Mountain West with the top player getting 15 points and on down to the 15th player receiving one point.

In an attempt to be transparent, vote totals are included for each award and all all-conference selection. Voters are allowed, but not required, to publicize their own ballot.

2021 All-Mountain West Team (media)

(Point totals provided for all selections with all 11 MW markets getting one ballot)

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)

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)