11/11/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bryce Hamilton named Preseason All-Mountain West, David Jenkins Jr. is Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Nick Blake is Preseason Freshman of the Year, while team is predicted to finish fourth in 2020-21.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West released its 2020-21 Preseason All-Conference Men's Basketball team Wednesday morning in conjunction with the start of men's basketball virtual media days.
Â
The preseason team, as selected by members of the media, is made up of two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore. Of the seven preseason honorees, five earned all-conference accolades at the end of 2019-20.
Â
Boise State senior Derrick Alston, Jr. was selected Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, while UNLV junior David Jenkins Jr. was named MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Rebel Nick Blake garnered MW Preseason Freshman of the Year accolades.
Â
A 2019-20 All-MW selection, Alston initially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name after deciding to return to Boise State for his senior year. Last week, Alston was named to the Julius Erving Award Watch List for the second year in a row. Alston led the Broncos in scoring (17.3 points per game) and assists (3.1 assists per game) during his junior campaign.
Â
Jenkins Jr. enters his second year with the Runnin' Rebels after sitting out 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer rules. Prior to UNLV, Jenkins played two seasons at South Dakota State under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. As a sophomore, Jenkins averaged 19.7 points and shot 45.3 percent from long range. Jenkins earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of his freshman and sophomore campaigns for the Jackrabbits.
Â
Blake, a Las Vegas native, joins the Runnin' Rebels as a true freshman in 2020-21. A four-star recruit, Blake spent the 2019-20 season at IMG Academy. After graduation, Blake returned home to play for the Las Vegas Knicks on the Adidas circuit, averaging 15.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Â
Joining Alston on the preseason All-MW team are Colorado State's Isaiah Stevens, San Diego State's Matt Mitchell, UNLV's Bryce Hamilton and Utah State's Neemias Queta.
Â
The 2020 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Stevens started every game during his first season at Colorado State. Stevens led the Rams in scoring (13.3 points per game), assists (4.5 assists per game) and minutes (32.7 minutes per game). He set a CSU freshman record after dishing out 144 assists in 2019-20.
Â
A senior from Riverside, California, Mitchell was one of two MW players to be named to the Julius Erving Watch List ahead of the 2020-21 season. A starter in the last 19 games of the 2019-20 campaign, Mitchell was a first-team All-MW honoree after averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes played per game. He finished his junior year ranked No. 27 in the country, shooting 87.3 percent from the free throw line.
Â
A 2019-20 first-team All-MW selection, Hamilton appeared in 32 games and netted 16.0 points per game, while connecting on 45.3 percent from the floor, which was the third-best field-goal percentage in the Mountain West.
Â
Queta, a junior from Barreiro, Portugal, helped the Aggies win the Mountain West tournament title for the second year in a row in 2020. He appeared in 22 games last season after overcoming an injury and netted double figures on 14 occasions. Queta averaged 13.0 points and shot 62.4 percent from the floor en route to earning second team All-MW honors at the conclusion of his sophomore campaign.Â
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:Â San Diego State has been predicted to claim the 2020-21 Mountain West regular-season title as voted by the Conference media and announced Wednesday morning ahead of the league's men's basketball virtual media days. The Aztecs captured the 2019-20 MW regular-season title with a 17-1 league mark.
Â
Coming off a historic season in 2019-20, San Diego State received 14 first-place votes, earning 211 points. The Aztecs have been selected as the Conference's preseason favorite seven times since 1999. SDSU returns three starters, including 2019-20 All-MW first team selection Matt Mitchell, and a total of eight letterwinners from last year's roster that finished with a 30-2 mark. Â
Â
Boise State was picked second in the preseason poll with 188 points and four first-place votes, while Utah State, the 2020 Mountain West tournament champion, was selected third with 177 points and the remaining two first-place votes.
Â
UNLV was chosen to finish fourth with 160 points, Colorado State in fifth with 141 points, Nevada in sixth with 114 points, New Mexico in seventh with 106 points, Fresno State in eighth with 93 points, Wyoming in ninth with 59 points, Air Force in 10th with 39 points and San José State in 11th with 32 points.
Â
Â
The preseason team, as selected by members of the media, is made up of two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore. Of the seven preseason honorees, five earned all-conference accolades at the end of 2019-20.
Â
Boise State senior Derrick Alston, Jr. was selected Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, while UNLV junior David Jenkins Jr. was named MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Rebel Nick Blake garnered MW Preseason Freshman of the Year accolades.
Â
A 2019-20 All-MW selection, Alston initially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name after deciding to return to Boise State for his senior year. Last week, Alston was named to the Julius Erving Award Watch List for the second year in a row. Alston led the Broncos in scoring (17.3 points per game) and assists (3.1 assists per game) during his junior campaign.
Â
Jenkins Jr. enters his second year with the Runnin' Rebels after sitting out 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer rules. Prior to UNLV, Jenkins played two seasons at South Dakota State under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. As a sophomore, Jenkins averaged 19.7 points and shot 45.3 percent from long range. Jenkins earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of his freshman and sophomore campaigns for the Jackrabbits.
Â
Blake, a Las Vegas native, joins the Runnin' Rebels as a true freshman in 2020-21. A four-star recruit, Blake spent the 2019-20 season at IMG Academy. After graduation, Blake returned home to play for the Las Vegas Knicks on the Adidas circuit, averaging 15.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Â
Joining Alston on the preseason All-MW team are Colorado State's Isaiah Stevens, San Diego State's Matt Mitchell, UNLV's Bryce Hamilton and Utah State's Neemias Queta.
Â
The 2020 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Stevens started every game during his first season at Colorado State. Stevens led the Rams in scoring (13.3 points per game), assists (4.5 assists per game) and minutes (32.7 minutes per game). He set a CSU freshman record after dishing out 144 assists in 2019-20.
Â
A senior from Riverside, California, Mitchell was one of two MW players to be named to the Julius Erving Watch List ahead of the 2020-21 season. A starter in the last 19 games of the 2019-20 campaign, Mitchell was a first-team All-MW honoree after averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes played per game. He finished his junior year ranked No. 27 in the country, shooting 87.3 percent from the free throw line.
Â
A 2019-20 first-team All-MW selection, Hamilton appeared in 32 games and netted 16.0 points per game, while connecting on 45.3 percent from the floor, which was the third-best field-goal percentage in the Mountain West.
Â
Queta, a junior from Barreiro, Portugal, helped the Aggies win the Mountain West tournament title for the second year in a row in 2020. He appeared in 22 games last season after overcoming an injury and netted double figures on 14 occasions. Queta averaged 13.0 points and shot 62.4 percent from the floor en route to earning second team All-MW honors at the conclusion of his sophomore campaign.Â
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:Â San Diego State has been predicted to claim the 2020-21 Mountain West regular-season title as voted by the Conference media and announced Wednesday morning ahead of the league's men's basketball virtual media days. The Aztecs captured the 2019-20 MW regular-season title with a 17-1 league mark.
Â
Coming off a historic season in 2019-20, San Diego State received 14 first-place votes, earning 211 points. The Aztecs have been selected as the Conference's preseason favorite seven times since 1999. SDSU returns three starters, including 2019-20 All-MW first team selection Matt Mitchell, and a total of eight letterwinners from last year's roster that finished with a 30-2 mark. Â
Â
Boise State was picked second in the preseason poll with 188 points and four first-place votes, while Utah State, the 2020 Mountain West tournament champion, was selected third with 177 points and the remaining two first-place votes.
Â
UNLV was chosen to finish fourth with 160 points, Colorado State in fifth with 141 points, Nevada in sixth with 114 points, New Mexico in seventh with 106 points, Fresno State in eighth with 93 points, Wyoming in ninth with 59 points, Air Force in 10th with 39 points and San José State in 11th with 32 points.
Â
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballWednesday, October 28
Monday, October 26
Saturday, October 24
Friday, October 23
