Tag: Derrick Alston

Every player in Philadelphia 76ers history who has worn No. 21

Here is a list of all 14 players who have worn the No. 21 for the Philadelphia 76ers in their history.

It’s summertime in the NBA, so it’s time to learn some history. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the older franchises in the NBA. Their history dates to the 1949-50 season.

With that longevity, the team has had hundreds of players come through the City of Brotherly Love. Sixers Wire looks at the No. 21 which has been worn by 14 of those players in the history of the franchise.

This running series will go through all of the uniform numbers worn in franchise history. The previous edition of this series was a list compiling the 16 players who have worn the No. 22.

Here is the list of the 14 who have worn No. 21 in Sixers history:

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 100 prospects pre-early entry deadline

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

Players have until the end of this month, May 30, to apply for entry into the 2021 NBA draft. They will then have until July 19 to determine whether or not they plan to stay in this class or (unless they hired an agent who does not have NCAA certification) return to school.

This is obviously an incredibly difficult decision and as the majority of early entry candidates have made their intentions public, those who are testing the waters are already weighing their options.

Fortunately, the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) exists to help answer some of those questions.

The advisory committee, which began in 1997, offers feedback to prospects on their potential draft stock. As many prospects are facing pivotal decisions about their future, this kind of intel is incredibly important.

Players like Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Baylor’s Jared Butler both went through this process last season, likely were not satisfied with the results and opted to return. Now, after tremendous efforts last season, both are projected first-rounders.

These decisions have tremendous financial implications for these individuals as well. For example, even if Kispert or Butler went with the last pick in the first round in 2020, they would have likely earned a contract worth around $5 million over three years. This year, even if they went outside of the lottery at at No. 15 overall, that would be around $8.5 million.

With that in mind, for the latest version of For The Win’s 2021 NBA draft big board, I’ve provided my evaluation for the top prospects expected to be in the pre-draft process. Players excluded from this exercise were likely because the reporting suggests that they are going back to school.

Note that these decisions were fully based on where I would have each player ranked, not a projection, although various conversations with scouts as well as other talent evaluators around the league have factored into my evaluation.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

Source: Boise State to consider Derrick Alston Jr. as 6’9″ point guard

Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr., who was an early entrant for the 2020 NBA Draft, will return to the program for his senior season.

Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr., who was an early entrant for the 2020 NBA Draft, will return to the program for his senior season.

Alston averaged 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, both strong marks. He ranked among the top five in scoring for players in the Mountain West Conference in 2019-20. He was a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

But according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Alston will likely take over the position of starting point guard at Boise State next season. Alston, who is 6-foot-9, averaged 3.1 assists per game in 2019-20.

Before his most recent season, head coach Leon Rice predicted that Alston would see a drastic increase in his role as a creator on the court (via Boise State):

“You’ve got another versatile guy. When talking about his feel for the game, [it] is at the highest level, 99th percentile, I’d say. He just knows what’s going on out there. He can see the floor. He’s so big … But he is also a weapon in making a lot of guys better, too. He can get guys easy buckets because of his abilities. I think you’re going to see a big jump in that aspect.”

Rice ended up being correct considered, as noted by Pro Basketball Combine, Alston recorded just one game with at least four assists during his sophomore season. But as a junior, that increased to eleven instances. This was highlighted by a 24-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist performance during the first month of the season.

Overall, his assist percentage (20.1%) ranked sixth-best among all players 6-foot-9 or taller in college basketball last season. When including passes, per Synergy, Alston finished 34.4% of his possessions as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll sets.

Alston was 9-for-15 (60.0%) on finishes as the ballhandler in transition, per Synergy. Boise State had the third-lowest transition frequency in the MWC, via Synergy. This is something that could increase, resulting in a style that is more reliant on pushing the break in the open court if Alston does take over as the lead initiator.

It is worth mentioning that Alston’s assist count (98) was already the highest mark of anyone on his team last season, recording nearly thirty more assists than Alex Hobbs — who finished with the second-most on the team.

“Alston’s assist count (98) was already the highest mark of anyone on his team last season, recording nearly thirty more assists than Alex Hobbs.” (Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports)

Hobbs, however, has exhausted his four years of collegiate eligibility. So, too, did Justinian Jessup — who finished with the third-most assists on Boise State. Alston is projected to once again lead his team in assists next season, per Bart Torvik.

Even if he does not end up getting the start in their opener, expect to see Alston with the ball in his hands more often when he returns to the NCAA.

This is likely something that can make Alston more alluring to NBA teams. He was certainly on the radar in the second round when he tested the waters after declaring for the draft in 2020. But if he is able to succeed as a primary playmaker, he can serve as a secondary ball-handler at the next level.

His is a name worth keeping an eye on when making early big boards for the 2021 NBA Draft.

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Mountain West Basketball: NBA Draft Update

Mountain West Basketball: NBA Draft Update Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Let’s take a look at where some of our favorite MW stars stand going into June. As the world of sports seeks to get back to business as “normal” worldwide after …

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Mountain West Basketball: NBA Draft Update

 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Let’s take a look at where some of our favorite MW stars stand going into June. 

As the world of sports seeks to get back to business as “normal” worldwide after coming to a sudden halt in late March, the NBA is tasked with rescheduling their current season, free agency, and all draft-related activities in the coming months.

The anticipated early entrant withdrawal date on Wednesday, June 3rd has been pushed back like many other draft related deadlines. There hasn’t been any mention of a new deadline, but the NCAA said it would be set once a more concrete pre-draft schedule was announced by the NCAA. 

The early entry withdrawal deadline was not the only date pushed back as the draft lottery, scheduled for May 19th and the scouting combine, scheduled to be held May 21st-24th were also moved further back.

The only date that has remained untouched is the draft itself, which is still scheduled for June 25th, but likely to change. But one thing is for sure, and that is that time is winding down

There is definitely an unknown or mystery element to this year’s draft process, players who may normally opt to stay in the draft due to certain unforeseen

ESPN-Updated Friday 5/29/2020

NBADraft.net-Updated Tuesday 6/2/2020

CBS Sports-Published 5/12/2020

The Athletic-Published on 5/5/2020 *Subscription is needed to view The Athletic’s content

Sports Illustrated Top 80 Rankings-Published on 5/6/2020

The Ringer’s 2020 NBA Draft Guide-Updated May 19th, 2020

Guys who could return next season

© Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports(2)

Derrick Alston Jr. |Junior Guard |  Boise State

Projection: Late second round to undrafted

CBS Sports: 65th

ESPN: 95th

NBA Draft.net: 57th (big board)/58th Mock draft

The Athletic: 57th

Sports Illustrated: not ranked

The Ringer: not ranked

Alston Jr. is a legacy draft prospect, as his father was drafted in the second round and 33rd overall in the 1994 draft out of Duquesne. His father’s NBA career was short lived (a little over two seasons), but played almost two decades overseas and has since made a career in couching in the NBA and NBA G-League as the current head coach of the Westchester Knicks.

Alston Jr. is an intriguing prospect as a 6-9 guard who can handle the ball and get his teammates involved when he drives the lane.

NCAA Basketball: New Mexico at San Diego State

Matt Mitchell |Junior Forward | San Diego State

Projection: Undrafted

CBS Sports: not ranked

ESPN: not ranked

NBA Draft.net: not ranked

The Athletic: 82nd

Sports Illustrated: not ranked

The Ringer: not ranked

Mitchell was a terrific player on what may have been one of the best Aztec teams in school history. He began the season coming off of the bench for the Aztec’s first 13 games before reentering the starting lineup and never leaving. His development over the course of the season elevated Mitchell to a spot on the conference’s first team at the end of the season.

After declaring for the draft in late April, he spoke with Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune revealing anything but eagerness to jump to the NBA.

“I was definitely going back and forth on the decision to put my name in,” Mitchell said. “But at the end of the day, I felt it was the best thing to do for myself and help myself in the future. All I’m looking to get out of this is to get feedback about what I need to get better at, what they’re looking for me to do better next season.

“And if they do open for workouts, under God’s graces, I would take workouts if asked. That’s all I’m looking to get out of it. I don’t think I’m looking to leave this year.”

Mitchell is extremely self-reflective and understands the current situation globally and how it limits exposure and potential in-person contact with NBA teams. He also understands

Decided to stay in the draft

NCAA Basketball: San Diego State at Fresno State

Malachi Flynn | Junior Guard | San Diego State

Projection: Early first round to mid-second round

CBS Sports: 45th

ESPN: 38th

NBA Draft.net: 39th (Big Board)/41st (Mock Draft)

The Athletic: 37th

Sports Illustrated: 29th

The Ringer: 36th

Flynn had

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Jalen Harris | Redshirt Junior Guard | Nevada

Projection: Late second round to undrafted

CBS Sports: 70th

ESPN: 86th

NBA Draft.net: not ranked

The Athletic: 80th

Sports Illustrated: 60th

The Ringer: not ranked

The Seniors

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Sam Merrill | Senior Guard | Utah State

Projection: Undrafted

CBS Sports: 98th

ESPN: 67th

NBA Draft.net: not ranked

The Athletic: 71st

Sports Illustrated: 57th

The Ringer: not ranked

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Justinian Jessup | Senior Guard | Boise State

Projection: Undrafted

CBS Sports: not ranked

ESPN: 92nd

NBA Draft.net: not ranked

The Athletic: not ranked

Sports Illustrated: not ranked

The Ringer: not ranked

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2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 5.0: International prospects are rising

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

As always, we examine the mock drafts from the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic, SB Nation, Sporting News and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

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Currently, the first three players expected to be selected (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman) have remained in the exact same order for the third aggregate mock draft in a row.

After dropping from No. 5 all the way to No. 11 between December and January, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has jumped back to No. 4 for this version.

He played well recently at the 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was a welcome change of pace for scouts hoping to learn as much as possible about Avdija as he had averaged just 4.0 points in 14.3 minutes in Euroleague games earlier this season.

Several other prospects playing overseas have seen their stock increase as well. This makes some sense considering many in the NCAA rely on their performance in March Madness to solidify their draft position whereas the international players gain momentum in other ways.

Killian Hayes, who was ranked No. 18 overall on our last aggregate mock draft, jumped up to No. 8 for this edition. The 6-foot-5 guard was 14-for-61 (39 percent) from 3-point range while also connecting on 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts during Eurocup action. Several outlets are currently projecting him as a Top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Another prospect playing outside of the United States but currently making waves is Leandro Bolmaro. He debuted on our aggregate mock draft in the most recent edition before this one but has jumped all the way to No. 29 this time around.

Meanwhile, in the NCAA, some college basketball players managed to make some serious momentum for themselves before the season was unexpectedly cut short. Some of those players are seniors Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Grant Riller (Charleston), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Desmond Bane (TCU).

As mentioned here, it makes sense for upperclassmen to be more appealing in this class than in previous years. Seniors have far more game film to draw film which may be necessary considering individual team workouts and even the 2020 NBA Draft Combine may be canceled. Plus, older players are likely more ready to contribute immediately.

On the flip side, there are freshmen around the country who have seen their draft stock drastically decline in recent months.

Oregon’s N’Faly Dante has fallen off our boards completely after playing just twelve games and making no appearances in the starting lineup. Kahlil Whitney, who was considered a lottery pick when we did this exercise in October 2019, also dropped off after withdrawing from Kentucky.

Some other freshmen who saw their draft stock fall: Duke’s Matthew Hurt was ranked No. 16 overall back in October but is now at No. 76 overall. LSU’s Trendon Watford was ranked No. 14 in October but has fallen to No. 63. Florida’s Scottie Lewis was No. 9 in July and is currently No. 53 overall.

Less drastic but still valid: Arizona’s Nico Mannion has fallen from No. 6 back in January 2020 all the way to No. 16 now in April. Likewise, UNC’s Cole Anthony dropped from No. 2 back in July 2019 to No. 10 in our new study.

But some encouraging news for prospects who were considered Top-25 recruits coming out of high school but had a disappointing freshman year (e.g. Duke’s Wendell Moore as well as the aforementioned Dante, Whitney, Watford, Hurt and Lewis) can be found in Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley.

The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the nation coming into Kentucky as a freshman. But after averaging just 5.2 points as a freshman, he returned for his sophomore campaign.

Fortunately, the SEC Player of the Year dramatically improved his draft stock in 2019-20. His season was highlighted by 21.3 points per game in February and a free throw percentage (92.3%) that ranked as the sixth-best among all underclassmen. This month, he debuted on our aggregate mock draft at No. 42 overall.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

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A Way-Too-Early Look MWC At Rosters For 2020-2021: Boise State Broncos

A Way-Too-Early Look At The Boise State Broncos Seniors back or not, this Boise State team will be stacked come fall. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Derrick Alston Jr. headlines a talented Bronco Roster in 2020-2021. Players have already …

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A Way-Too-Early Look At The Boise State Broncos

Seniors back or not, this Boise State team will be stacked come fall.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Derrick Alston Jr. headlines a talented Bronco Roster in 2020-2021.

Players have already accepted reality and have begun taking the next step in their careers as of Friday. For some that is beginning NBA draft preparations a little earlier than expected, for others it is finishing their remaining course loads online to better gear up for next semester. Though the last group of players it is looking for their next opportunity and entering the transfer portal.

After sporting leagues around the globe either canceled or postponed their seasons in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA followed suit by outright canceling scheduled spring sports but rewarding seniors another year of eligibility to return and compete next season. This was a swift and just decision in a time of uncertainty for a lot of student athletes, but there was still a group left in with uncertainty.

Winter sport athletes have currently been left with hope, given a ruling from the NCAA that would grant them any sort of extra eligibility given their abrupt cancellation of the big dance. So in the spirit of pure fun we will take a look at Mountain West team’s rosters for next season. Taking a look at both scenarios, just in case the NCAA surprises us.

2020-2021 Roster: In the event seniors are granted further eligibility

G Justinian Jessup GR 6-7 202 Longmont, CO-Longmont HS

F RJ Williams GR 6-7 215 Los Angeles, CA Price HS/East L.A. College

G Marcus Dickinson GR 6-1 183 Norman, OK-North Norman HS

G Alex Hobbs GR 6-4 188 La Porte, TX-La Porte HS

C Robin Jorch GR 6-11 245 Berlin, Germ.-International Berlin Basketball Acad. 

G Derrick Alston Jr. R-Sr. 6-9 188 Houston, TX-Strake Jesuit HS

G/F Abu Kigab Sr. 6-6 211 St. Catharines, ON-Prolific Prep

G Marcus Shaver Jr. R-Jr. 6-1 185 Phoenix, AZ-Shadow Mountain HS

G Emmanuel Akot R-Jr. 6-8 203 Winnipeg, MB-Wasatch Academy (UT) 

G Chase Berry R-Jr. 6-6 220 Lehi, UT-Skyridge HS/Utah State Eastern

F Mladen Armus R-Jr. 6-10 230 Belgrade, Serbia-SW Christian Academy

F Naje Smith Jr. 6-7 200 Spokane, WA-Lewis & Clark HS/Cochise College (AZ)

G Devonaire Doutrive R-So. 6-5 185 Dallas, TX-Birmingham HS (CA)/Arizona

F Riley Abercrombie R-So. 6-9 210 Wollongong, Australia-Clear Lake HS (TX) 

G Max Rice R-So. 6-5 189 Boise, ID-Bishop Kelly HS

G RayJ Dennis So. 6-2 177 Oswego, IL-Oswego East HS

G Kasean Pryor Fr. 6-9 179 Branson, MO-Link Year Prep 

C Burke Smith Fr. 6-11 215 Glen Allen, VA-Trinity Episcopal School 

Point Guard Shooting Guard Small Forward Power Forward Center
Marcus Shaver R-Jr. Derrick Alston Jr. R-Sr. Justinian Jessup GR RJ Williams GR Mladen Armus R-Jr.
Rayj Dennis So. Alex Hobbs GR

 

 Naje Smith Jr. Emmanuel Akot R-Jr. Robin Jorch GR
Marcus Derrickson GR Devonaire Doutrive R-So.* Chase Berry Sr. Riley Abercrombie R-So. Burke Smith GR
Max Rice R-So. Donovan Ivory R-So. Kasean Pryor Fr.

Things of Note:

  • This version of the roster has 18 players on it (two walk-ons)
  • Who knows what kind of rules or regulations would come with this decision but I could imagine every player new to the roster redshirting because of a lack of minutes to go around.

I couldn’t imagine everyone returning from this year’s squad if they are afforded the opportunity to do so. Just looking at that depth chart above the Bronco’s have a second string of players that would be competitive with most teams in the Mountain West and maybe win championships in some smaller conference’s around the country.

If they were awarded extra eligibility I could imagine we would see several transfers out of the program as there is just not enough playing time to go around. Also throw in some redshirt years from some guys who would only benefit from playing around RJ Williams or Justinian Jessup for another year in practice. If no one left, this would be a tournament team no question, with the only question being how many other Mountain West teams would join them.

But in the event that the NCAA rules against awarding additional eligibility for winter sport athletes, which still seems like a possibility given how long it has taken to hear any news regarding the matter. Here is a list followed by a depth chart of the Boise State roster given their current recruiting class and who we know has entered the transfer portal.

Next: Roster and Depth Chart

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Boise State Heading To Semifinals After 67-61 Win Over UNLV

Game Recap: Boise State 67, UNLV 61 Bronco’s big three show up in first game in Las Vegas to help secure win. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire A big night from RJ Williams lifts Boise State past UNLV. Las Vegas, NV-The tournament’s host UNLV …

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Game Recap: Boise State 67, UNLV 61

Bronco’s big three show up in first game in Las Vegas to help secure win.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

A big night from RJ Williams lifts Boise State past UNLV.

Las Vegas, NV–The tournament’s host UNLV took on Boise State in a mid-afternoon bout in day two of the Mountain West Conference tournament. This was game number one for both teams and the fresh legs were apparent in a game that was neck and neck most of the way.

This was the third meeting between the two teams this season and while their regular season series was split with each team securing a win on the road on the other team’s home court, this is March and anything could happen.

Both teams had a hard time shooting from the field with Boise State finishing with 21-57 made field goals on the night (36.9%) and UNLV in worse shape with 18-57 field goals made (31.6%). The three point field goal numbers are even worse as UNLV finished with 9/27 made threes (33%) while Boise State knocked down just 3-15 of their attempts.

Ultimately the Broncos had the hottest hand of the night in senior forward RJ Williams who finished the game with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists on 7-12 made field goals but 9-13 of his free throw attempts. He received help from fellow senior Justinian Jessup (19 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal) and junior guard Derrick Alston Jr. (14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists).

The Runnin’ Rebels were without junior forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong who only saw nine minutes of play off of the bench. His presence was missed on the defense end as UNLV didn’t seem to have an answer to RJ Williams down low. Sophomore guard Bryce Hamilton led UNLV with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist while junior Amauri Hardy chipped in 14 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds.

Senior guard Elijah Mitrou-Long was also missing in action after suffering a deep knee bruise over the weekend. It was obvious this UNLV team wasn’t at 100% without two of their impact players on the bench, but still gave Boise State a run for the chance to advance on to Friday night.

Up Next:

Boise State: The Broncos advance to face San Diego State in tomorrow’s semifinal action at 9:00 PM EST on CBS Sports Network. The Aztecs narrowly escaped the upset Thursday afternoon with a 73-60 win over Air Force.

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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch list Results: POY and All-Conference Selections

Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch list Results: POY and All-Conference Selections The results are in, take a look at the awards and the 17th week’s results. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The month of February made it a close …

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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch list Results: POY and All-Conference Selections

The results are in, take a look at the awards and the 17th week’s results. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The month of February made it a close one but the Player of the Year watch list results are in, and the winner is….

The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We kept track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and voted on who had the best performances that week.

The process churned out 17 weeks of results, highlighting multiple player’s performances in that time. Overall 31 different players received top-5 votes and every Mountain West team is represented on the list. But without further ado here we go.

[Editor note: As a staff there will be a one-time vote on these same awards, plus more, and it will be interesting to see if they are different because a one or two week surge would help them in these weekly rankings.]

Player of the year: Malachi Flynn, San Diego State (42 total points)

NCAA Basketball: San Diego State at Fresno State

Malachi Flynn has been a major catalyst in the Aztec’s historic 2019-2020 season. His presence on the court this season for a Brian Dutcher team that reached twenty wins last season but lost it’s top-two scorers is more than impressive. Flynn’s leadership has led to a 28-1 (17-1 in MW) regular season finish, top-5 ranking, an at-large bid and maybe most importantly he’s helped make the players around him better.

His numbers weren’t eye popping, but were efficient and made an impact consistently on the best team in the Mountain West. He averaged 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.1 APG & 1.8 SPG in 29 games this season (all starts). Certainly an all-conference worthy stat sheet and his assists and steals per game totals were good enough to lead the entire conference in both categories. Flynn performed at a high level consistently throughout the season and had the best start of any in the conference and kept his level of play just high enough to fend off some other player’s late season surges for the award.

The dagger might have come this weekend in what looked like the battle for Player of the Year against Nevada and Wolf Pack guard Jalen Harris. Flynn helped his team obtain an 83-76 win while scoring 36 points on 13-20 made field goals (65%) while also grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out five assists. This performance cemented Flynn as the inaugural 2020 Mountain West Wire’s Watch list Player of the Year. Congrats to Malachi and a special thank you to all who participated in the voting process throughout the year.

The rest of the All-Mountain West First team:

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Jalen Harris, Nevada (35 Points)

Sam Merrill, Utah State (20 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, Boise State(19 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico (15 Points)

All-Mountain West second team:

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Nico Carvacho, Colorado State (12 Points)

Bryce Hamilton, UNLV (12 Points)

Seneca Knight, San Jose State (10 Points)

Jazz Johnson, Nevada (9 Points)

Justinian Jessup, Boise State (7 Points)

The order for the Final week is as follows:

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