BOISE, Idaho — Mountain West coaches decide the official postseason honors each season, but media members throughout the league organize their own awards, with each market getting a single collective vote.
While the ballot below doesn’t necessarily match what the Boise media contingency submitted, these were my suggestions for Mountain West postseason honors.
The most difficult decision for me was putting Nevada senior guard Jarod Lucas on my All-Mountain West second team. He’s absolutely deserving of being on the first team, and I have no explanation why he’s not, other than there just weren’t enough spots to include him.
FIRST TEAM
G - Darius Brown II (SR), Utah State
- Overall: 12.8 PTS | 45.6 FG% | 8.2 REB | 1.3 AST | 1.2 STL
- In MW play: 13.6 PTS | 47.8 FG% | 42.7 3-PT FG% | 5.0 REB | 5.5 AST | 1.4 STL
#TuSTATS: Brown is one of nine players in the NCAA averaging 13.0+ points, 5.0+ rebounds and 5.0+ assists in conference play this season. He joined former Wyoming standout Hunter Maldonado as the only player in Mountain West history to average those numbers over a single season.
G - Isaiah Stevens (SR), Colorado State
- Overall: 16.9 PTS | 43.7 3-PT FG% | 2.6 REB | 7.1 AST | 1.3 STL
- In MW play: 16.5 PTS | 45.7 3-PT FG% | 2.8 REB | 6.8 AST | 1.2 STL
#TuSTATS: Stevens is on pace to become the first player in Mountain West history to average 16.0+ points and 7.0+ assists in a single season.
F - Tyson Degenhart (JR), Boise State
- Overall: 16.8 PTS | 51.1 FG% | 79.2 FT% | 6.1 REB | 1.5 AST | 1.0 STL
- In MW play: 18.2 PTS | 54.2 FG% | 36.4 3-PT FG% | 80.2 FT% | 6.5 REB | 1.4 AST
#TuSTATS: Degenhart is the first player in Mountain West history to average 18.0+ points while shooting 50.0%+ from the floor, 35.0%+ from three, and 80.0%+ from the free-throw line in a single season in conference play.
F - Great Osobor (JR), Utah State
- Overall: 17.6 PTS | 57.2 FG% | 9.0 REB | 2.9 AST | 1.3 STL | 1.5 BLK
- In MW play: 17.8 PTS | 57.9 FG% | 8.9 REB | 3.1 AST | 1.6 STL | 1.4 BLK
#TuSTATS: Osobor is one of just two players in the country currently averaging 17.0+ points, 9.0+ rebounds, 1.0+ steals and 1.0+ blocks this season. If he can maintain these averages, he’ll be the first Mountain West player to ever do it over a full season.
F - Jaedon LeDee (SR), SDSU
- Overall: 20.8 PTS | 55.3 FG% | 72.5 FT% | 8.1 REB | 1.4 AST | 1.2 STL
- In MW play: 19.8 PTS | 55.5 FG% | 71.0 FT% | 7.6 REB | 1.2 AST | 1.2 STL
#TuSTATS: On pace to become just the second player in Mountain West history to average 20.0+ points and 8.0+ rebounds while shooting 50.0%+ in a single season. The only other player to do it was former Utah standout Andrew Bogut, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.
SECOND TEAM
G - Jarod Lucas (SR), Nevada
- Overall: 17.7 PTS | 40.0 3-FG% | 89.9 FT% | 2.3 REB | 1.5 AST
- In MW play: 17.8 PTS | 42.5 3-PT FG% | 87.5 FT% | 2.8 REB | 1.7 AST
#TuSTATS: He finished in double-figures 29 times this season, second-most in the Mountain West behind LeDee. Caleb Martin was the last Wolf Pack player with more in a single season (31, 2018-19)
G - Jaelen House (SR), New Mexico
- Overall: 14.7 PTS | 32.4 3-PT FG% | 3.6 REB | 3.4 AST | 2.4 STL
- In MW play: 14.9 PTS | 31.9 3-PT FG% | 3.9 REB | 3.3 AST | 2.2 STL
#TuSTATS: House has averaged 14.0+ points, 3.0+ rebounds, 3.0+ assists and 2.0+ steals in each of the last three seasons, a stat line that’s only been accomplished seven other times total in the history of the Mountain West.
G - Donovan Dent (SO), New Mexico
- Overall: 15.0 PTS | 51.9 FG% | 2.7 REB | 5.5 AST | 1.4 STL
- In MW play: 13.8 PTS | 51.6 FG% | 2.4 REB | 5.1 AST | 1.2 STL
#TuSTATS: Do you know how many players averaged 15.0+ points and 5.0+ assist while shooting 50.0+ from the field? The list begins and ends with Dent, who is just the fifth sophomore at the NCAA DI level to accomplish the feat since the 1992-93 season.
G - Kenan Blackshear (SR), Nevada
- Overall: 15.3 PTS | 49.2 FG% | 4.9 REB | 4.8 AST | 1.4 STL
- In MW play: 14.2 PTS | 45.5 FG% | 4.4 REB | 4.8 AST | 1.6 STL
#TuSTATS: On the verge of becoming the 10th player in Mountain West history to average 15.0+ points, 4.0+ rebounds, 4.0+ assists and 1.0+ steals in a single season.
F - O'Mar Stanley (JR) – Boise State
- Overall: 13.2 PTS | 54.9 FG% | 6.2 REB | 1.5 AST | 1.1 BLK
- In MW play: 14.4 PTS | 53.1 FG% | 7.2 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.1 BLK
#TuSTATS: Stanley is the first Bronco in at least 30 years to average 14.0+ points, 7.0+ rebounds and 1.0+ blocks while shooting 50.0%+ in conference play in a single season.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Coach of the Year: Danny Sprinkle, Utah State
Sprinkle is the obvious choice here. The Aggies first-year head coach took a team that didn’t return a single point off last year’s roster and won the program’s first-ever outright Mountain West regular season championship.
Player of the Year: Darius Brown II, Utah State
This was such a close race. San Diego State senior forward Jaedon LeDee was an unstoppable force most of the season, and Utah State junior forward Great Osobor had one of the best all-around campaigns in the league. But for me, Brown is the guy. He hit big shots late in road games at Boise State, Fresno State and UNLV, along with one at home against New Mexico, all of which led to wins for the Aggies. With Brown’s clutch shooting, there’s no way the Aggies pull out a regular season title.
Defensive Player of the Year: Trey Coleman, Nevada
Coleman gets overlooked on a roster that includes seniors Jared Lucas and Kenan Blackshear, but I can’t help acknowledging what he does on the defensive end of the court. At 6-foot-7, 215 pounds he can guard multiple positions, and his length is a disruptor. He finished second on Nevada’s team in both blocked shots (22) and steals (41).
Sixth-Man of the Year: Josh Oduje, Utah State
Uduje averaged 8.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Aggies this season. He scored 20 points off the bench in a comeback win over Wyoming in Laramie, and didn’t miss a shot in a road upset at Boise State. He also hit a big shot late against New Mexico last weekend, one which helped Utah State secure their first-ever outright Mountain West regular season championship.
Newcomer of the Year: Great Osobor, Utah State
Brown edged out Osobor for the Mountain West Player of the Year Award on my ballot, so I’m giving this honor to Osobor. The Montana State transfer is one of 16 players at the NCAA DI level with 500+ points, 250+ rebounds, 90+ assists, 40+ steals and 40+ blocks in a single season since the 1992-93 campaign. Some of his company on that list includes former NBA All-Stars Chris Webber, Jerry Stackhouse, and Paul Pierce.
- COACHES' POLL: ALL-MW SELECTIONS AND AWARDS (released Tuesday)
- MEDIA POLL: ALL-MW SELECTIONS AND AWARDS (released Monday)
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