Seven Early Candidates For 2019-20 Mountain West Player Of The Year
An early glance at next season’s POY candidates
Contact/Follow @boettger_eli & @MWCwire
Early candidates for ’19-20 MW POY
As the offseason pushes along, we will continue to unveil early glances at the 2019-20 Mountain West men’s basketball season. With the draft looming and plenty of player movement ahead of us (we can assume), it’s a hectic time of the year. Let’s take some time out of the madness to look at the potential player of the year contenders this season.
Neemias Queta, Utah State
’18-19 stats: 11.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 61.4 FG%
The big question (quite obviously) is whether Queta will even be on campus next season. The Portuguese center declared for the draft after an impressive freshman campaign and is currently participating in the draft combine.
Most draft prognosticators expect Queta to return for ’19-20, and if he does, watch out. Queta has all the physical tools to be the best player in the conference and one of the best centers in the nation. A full offseason of improvement in Logan could be all the difference.
Sam Merrill, Utah State
’18-19 stats: 20.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 46.1 FG%
The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year is back for his senior year and there’s no reason why the conference’s top guard can’t take the trophy home once again in 2020. Merrill went from a dark horse to the consensus POY choice in a matter of weeks last season as Utah State blazed its way to a 17-1 stretch between January and the NCAA Tournament.
Known for his elite shooting ability (a career 42.4 percent three-point shooter), Merrill’s lockdown defense is often overlooked. He now has the opportunity to be the first two-time MWC POY award winner.
Nico Carvacho, Colorado State
’18-19 stats: 16.1 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 59.2 FG%
When discussing Nico Carvacho’s POY hopes, the focus shifts to Ram players not named Carvacho. Averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field on a contending team warrants a player of the year award in just about every conference.
With that being said, if CSU is a top half team in the league next season and Carvacho replicates his junior year stats, it’s his award to lose. But if the Rams lurk towards the bottom of the Mountain West ladder again, the Chilean will have to settle for another all-conference appearance.
Vance Jackson, New Mexico
’18-19 stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
In his first year in Albuquerque, UConn transfer Vance Jackson was a workhorse for the Lobos. The dynamic forward finished in double figures 23 times, including two monster performances in the Mountain West Tournament where he averaged 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. At 6-9 and 230 pounds with an easy perimeter stroke (57 made three-pointers in ’18-19) and the frame to battle inside, Jackson is one of the most valuable players in the conference.
Lavelle Scottie, Air Force
’18-19 stats: 15.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 48.7 FG%
It’s not easy to gain public notoriety playing for a service academy, but if you don’t know Lavelle Scottie’s name by now, you’re not paying close enough attention. Few players in the conference produce at a consistent basis like Scottie. The senior forward scored eight or more points in 31 of his 32 outings last season, leading the team in points per game for the second consecutive year. Scottie and fellow frontcourt stud Ryan Swan are poised to compete with the Mountain West powers in ’19-20.
Nate Grimes, Fresno State
‘18-19 stats: 11.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 59.9 FG%
I will never quite understand why Nate Grimes played sparingly as an underclassmen in a Fresno State uniform. He’s always been productive, averaging a double-double per 40 minutes his entire career. In fact, he’s one of just ten players nationally to average eight points, seven rebounds, and one block per game while shooting over 60 percent from the field over the past two seasons. Grimes was also eighth nationally in defensive rebounding percentage last year and owns the highest career defensive rebounding percentage in Mountain West history. He’s a sneaky all-conference choice.
Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
’17-18 stats (with Washington State): 15.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.6 SPG
San Diego State will boast a loaded backcourt in ’19-20 despite losing both Devin Watson and Jeremy Hemsley to graduation. Washington State transfer Malachi Flynn and Santa Clara transfer K.J. Feagin will join forces at Viejas and pack a major scoring punch. Flynn does more than just score, though, racking up assists at a high rate and on the opposite side of the ball, he defends well without fouling (recording 49 steals and just 56 fouls in ’17-18).
Also considered: Justinian Jessup, Boise State; Derrick Alston, Boise State; Kris Martin, Colorado State; Jazz Johnson, Nevada; Jalen Harris, Nevada; Anthony Mathis, New Mexico; JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico; Carlton Bragg, New Mexico; Zane Martin, New Mexico; K.J. Feagin, San Diego State; Amauri Hardy, UNLV
To keep the conversation going head over to MWCBoard to discuss, debate, and give us who you think will win player of the year.
Eli Boettger is the lead basketball writer at Mountain West Wire. He’s covered Mountain West basketball since 2015 and his work has been featured on Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and other platforms. Boettger is a current USBWA member.
