Tag: malachi flynn

NBA Draft prospect Malachi Flynn models his game after Chris Paul

The 21-year-old recently discussed why he wants to model his game after the future Hall of Famer.

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Projected second-round pick Malachi Flynn emerged as a strong ballhandler and playmaker during his time in college and that may be no coincidence considering he has modeled his game after future Hall of Famer Chris Paul.

Flynn spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Washington State but transferred to San Diego State last year. He was named the Mountain West Player of the Year after averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 32 games played.

The 21-year-old recently sat down with Matt Babcock of BasketballNews.com and discussed a variety of topics, including why he watches Paul.

I would say Chris Paul because of how smart he is off the pick-and-roll. During his younger days, he was a lot faster, but just seeing how his game has evolved over the years, he still gets whatever he wants off the pick-and-roll. He’s a good leader in my opinion. I feel like he plays to win, and plays on both ends of the floor. He’s just someone that I’ve always watched and admired. I certainly try to take things from his game.

Flynn is most commonly projected to be an early second-round pick but some believe he could be a late first-round pick. He is likely ready to contribute to the second unit of an NBA team given his ability to make plays and get his teammates involved.

The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Nov. 18.

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Five 2020 second-round guard prospects for Boston to consider

The Boston Celtics don’t just have three first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft – they also have a pick in the middle of the second round, and these are five guards they should consider.

The Boston Celtics don’t know when they will be drafting the team’s next rookie class in the 2020 NBA Draft, but whenever it happens, the Celtics will have as many as four selections in it.

While they don’t know the date of the draft, they know they are certain to have at least two first-round draft picks. More likely, they will have three if the Memphis Grizzlies make the playoffs.

If the season ended today, they would.

They’ll also have a second round draft pick coming to them from the Atlanta Hawks currently slated to fall 46th overall.

And though the lion’s share of attention has fallen to the likely trio of first round picks, there might be a quality prospect to be had midway through the second round as well.

To that end, the Celtics Wire will look at five guards, bigs and wings who might be a good fit for Boston in that range, starting today with guards.

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Finding 3 Warriors backup options for Stephen Curry in the NBA Draft

Who could the Warriors find in the NBA draft to fill their depth chart behind Stephen Curry?

The postponement of the NBA draft lottery has given the Golden State Warriors more time to prepare for one of their most important selections in years.

Golden State’s league-worst record has set them up for a chance to grab a top-tier prospect early in the draft. Before the Warriors are on the clock, Steve Kerr and Bob Myers will be tasked with figuring out their draft plan. Do they trade the pick? Take the best player available? Draft for a need? All questions Golden State’s front office will need to answer over the next couple of months.

If the Warriors opt to fill a void on their roster with their draft pick, it will quickly narrow down their player pool. Despite having one of the best point guards in the NBA in navigating the court, the Warriors’ depth behind Stephen Curry is thin.

Curry missing 60 games throughout the season has given a trio of Warriors the chance to solidify a spot behind the two-time Most Valuable Player. However, inconsistent play from Ky Bowman, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole could push Golden State to address the point guard position in the draft.

If the Warriors decide to add to their backcourt with one of their three picks in the 2020 draft, here are some names to watch.

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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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2020 Mountain West Basketball Tournament: Championship Game Schedule, Bracket, Live Stream & Odds

2020 Mountain West Basketball Tournament: Championship Game Schedule, Bracket, Live Stream & Odds The Championship game is set and it’s No.1 vs. No. 2, as expected? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The top two seeds in the tournament meet for …

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2020 Mountain West Basketball Tournament: Championship Game Schedule, Bracket, Live Stream & Odds

The Championship game is set and it’s No.1 vs. No. 2, as expected?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The top two seeds in the tournament meet for chance to go dancing and the Mountain West tournament championship.

San Diego State had a slow start in Friday’s semifinal game against No. 5 Boise State, reminiscent of their quarterfinal victory over No. 9 Air Force where they found themselves down at the half only to rally to a 13-point win in the second half. Their victory over the Broncos didn’t exactly fit that same mold, but the Aztecs did find themselves tied forty a piece at the half. But it could have been worse if not for a 19-3 run in the final minutes of the first half.

Ultimately Brian Dutcher’s squad secured the 81-68 win over Boise State in the second half, and as a team ended the night shooting 27-55 on field goals (49.1%) and 15-36 from three

In the Championship game they will face No. 2 Utah State who ended the Cinderella hopes of No. 11 Wyoming in an 89-82 late Friday night. Wyoming certainly made it interesting, staying in the game the whole time and getting double-digit efforts from five different players, led by 18 points from freshman guard Kenny Foster. This was a different kind of Cowboys team that showed up in Las Vegas this week compared to what fans saw all season. There should be some hope around that program going into next season, as they do lose two key players in Jake Hendricks and AJ Banks to graduation but bring back literally everyone else.

Utah State was led by none other than senior leader Sam Merrill who finished the night with 27 points, 7 assists and 2 steals bringing his tournament scoring average to 28.0 PPG. He received some needed help from sophomore big man Neemias Queta who chipped in 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks while using his size and athleticism against a much smaller and more shallow Wyoming frontcourt.

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This match up of the top two seeds is just what the bracketology doctor ordered for the Aggies, as a team that is on bubble watch for many folks might need a win over the Aztecs to punch their ticket. San Diego State is in a better spot when it comes to attending the big dance but should have a sweep of both the regular season and tournament titles in mind as the cherry on top of an already stellar season.

History hasn’t been too kind to mid-major bubble teams and Sam Merrill who should be in the running for tournament MVP needs to take control Saturday, as his Aztec counterpart Malachi Flynn will attempt to do the same.

What will likely be the difference maker will be the performances of each team’s supporting casts. A Diogo Brito vs. Jordan Schakel match up should be an interesting one to watch, as well as a Neemias Queta vs. Yanni Wetzell match up down low. There is a lot on the line for both teams and should provide an exciting game of basketball for the rest of us.

Saturday, March 7th

Championship: No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 2 Utah State, 5:30 p.m. ET, TV: CBS OR (FuboTV Free Trial ), KenPom:

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board: Latest updates after NCAA regular season

With the near conclusion of the 2019-20 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regular Season, it is worth taking another look at the 2020 NBA Draft prospects.

With the conclusion of the 2019-20 NCAA men’s basketball regular season fast approaching, it’s worth taking another look at the 2020 NBA Draft prospects.

While quite a bit will change on big boards and mock drafts following the conference tournaments and March Madness, some of the top players have already convinced NBA teams that they deserve serious consideration when the draft rolls around on June 25, 2020.

Others still have plenty of time to improve their draft stock on the floor and in workouts and interviews. For what it is worth, former top prospects coming into their freshman campaigns who could go back to school for their sophomore campaigns (for example, Florida’s Scottie Lewis and Duke’s Wendell Moore) were not included on this list.

Note that statistics are pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik.com, KenPom.com, RealGM or Sports-Reference.

1. LaMelo Ball, USA

(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Guard, 6-foot-7, 18 years old

The main reason to believe in Ball as the top player in the 2020 NBA Draft is because of his ridiculously high upside. With his unique size, he can put up a triple-double on any given night. Even when Ball was playing against much older professional competition in Australia’s NBL, Ball nearly averaged a triple-double per 36 minutes. Meanwhile, his defensive stats were also much better than expected, and his basketball instincts are strong. It is difficult to find an accurate read on Ball, given how many different teams he has played for in recent years. However, there should be enough to like about him for a team to select him with one of the first few picks.

2. Onyeka Okongwu, USC

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Big, 6-foot-9, 19 years old

While he’s a bit undersized at 6-9, he can play bigger than his height, given his 7-foot-2 wingspan. For example, his block percentage (10.0%) ranks among the top five of all freshmen this season. He is more celebrated for his defensive ability, but the offense is there, too. Okongwu is averaging 1.14 points per possession as an offensive finisher, per Synergy, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all NCAA players. Put it all together, and the USC big man currently has the best box plus-minus in college basketball. Even if there might not be as much star potential as a player such as Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, he feels much closer to a sure thing in the NBA.

3. Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Wing, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

Under head coach Tom Crean, the University of Georgia freshman has been a revelation in transition offense. Edwards ranks among the top five nationally in total scoring on these plays, per Synergy, averaging 5.7 points per game. He looks his best when his shot attempts come closer to the rim, especially considering his 6-foot-9 wingspan. Farther from the basket, meanwhile, more than half of his 3-pointers have been unassisted. This shows he is capable of creating his own shot. Edwards, however, is shooting just 30.3% from beyond the arc on the season. But the reason to like him as a top-three pick is more about flashes of greatness, and he is averaging 21.8 points per game in February.

4. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Guard, 6-foot-5, 20 years old

Haliburton is a skinny, lengthy guard measured with a 7-foot wingspan though and 170-pound frame. But most important is his valuable 3-and-D skill set. Before his injury, his 3-point percentage (41.9%) and steal percentage (3.8%) were both among the best in the NCAA. As a distributor and lead ballhandler, despite an unusually low usage rate, his assist rate still ranks in the top 10 among all underclassmen at high-major programs. Haliburton has been productive enough to suggest he can take over as the starting point guard in the NBA as soon as next season. There may be a low ceiling, but there is also a very high floor.

5. Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Guard, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

Much like Ball, there is a lot to like about Hayes due to his size and overall upside. He can be a lead ballhandler and has been measured with a 6-foot-7 wingspan. Hayes led France to the silver medal in 2018 at the U17 World Cup, averaging 21.4 points and 4.4 assists with 3.6 steals per 36 minutes. He is shooting 39.0% from beyond the arc in Eurocup action and has been able to produce well as a scorer as he has grown into a bigger role.

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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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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Sixteen

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Sixteen Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris shrinks the POY gap, Seneca Knight goes off and the Runnin’ Rebels down …

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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Sixteen

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris shrinks the POY gap, Seneca Knight goes off and the Runnin’ Rebels down the Aztecs. 

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

How it works description now at the bottom of the article

The order for the sixteenth week is as follows:

1. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (5 Points)

28 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists against New Mexico

20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals against Fresno State

Nevada’s current second place standing in the Mountain West has made the transition between coaching staffs seamless for Wolf Pack Fans. Steve Alford has brought his winning Mountain West pedigree with him to Reno but a big reason if the not THE reason for Nevada’s success this season has been the man listed above, Jalen Harris.

Harris has been tremendous all season for the Wolf Pack but has really turned it on in conference play, which has included four straight games with thirty points or more and has the squad riding a current five game winning streak coming into the week.

Harris has made the biggest run at Player of the Year in the entire conference, and has turned Nevada into a real force to be reckoned with while making a name for himself nationally in February. It is a bit odd to even think his performance last week where he averaged 24.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 2.5 APG seemed like a slow week but that’s Harris’ reality at the end of February.

Most people would say that Harris has become the best player in the conference and his push for first on our list is a pretty good indicator of that notion. But even though Harris has been catching up, Malachi Flynn has kept his first place position with consistent play throughout the year. But with only two games left in the regular season for both Harris and Malachi Flynn, the February 29th showdown in Reno on senior night should settle some bets and help some voters decide.

2. Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (4 Points):

23 points, 1 steal and 1 assists against Boise State

37 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal against Colorado State

3. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (3 Points):

24 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists against UNLV

4. Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (2 Points):

25 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block against Colorado State

11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals against San Diego State

5. Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (1 Point):

13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists against San Jose State

27 points, 17 rebounds and 1 assist against New Mexico

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9| Week 10|Week 11| Week 12| Week 13|Week 14|Week 15|

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (37 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (31 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (20 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (19 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (12 Points)

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (11 Points)

Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (10 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (6 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Marvin Coleman, sophomore guard UNLV (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Neemias Queta, sophomore forward Utah State (4 Points)

Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (4 Points)

David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (4 Points)

Corey Manigault, senior forward New Mexico (2 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Abu Kigab, junior forward Boise State (1 Point)

Zane Martin, junior guard UNM (1 Point)

Matt Mitchell, junior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point)

Richard Washington, junior guard San Jose State (1 Point)

Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Fifteen

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Fifteen Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Sam Merrill edges out Flynn and Harris with strong play to claim this weeks top …

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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Fifteen

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Sam Merrill edges out Flynn and Harris with strong play to claim this weeks top honor. 

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

How it works description now at the bottom of the article

The order for the fifteenth week is as follows:

1. Sam Merrill, senior guard Utah State (5 Points)

32 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists against Colorado State

24 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds against Fresno State

Four, that’s the current win streak Merrill and the Aggies are enjoying as they prepare to host the Cowboys of Wyoming on Wednesday. Three, that’s the number of games remaining on the schedule, including Wednesday’s game at home. These are some of the bigger numbers Sam Merrill and company are thinking about this week as they continue on looking for a second-place finish in the Mountain West.

The Aggies have caught steam over their last ten games, going 8-2 since a tough loss on the road to Boise State back on January 18th and they haven’t really looked back. And for a team that came into the season with some pretty lofty expectations their play as of late has been spectacular and so has their best player.

Merrill’s play over the last couple of weeks has been fantastic, and averaging 28.0 PPG last week in two much-needed victories put him a cut above the rest. Earning him a first-place finish ahead of Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris, who are both ahead of him on the overall big board.

The race for player of the year doesn’t seem as clear cut as some may think, as late pushes from Harris and Merrill will make things interesting in the coming weeks.

2. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (4 Points):

15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals against New Mexico

22 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds against Boise State

3. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (3 Points):

29 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals against UNLV

4. Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (2 Points):

18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists against Air Force

22 points, 1 assist and 4 rebounds against San Diego State

5. Richard Washington, junior guard San Jose State (1 Point):

17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists against Fresno State

31 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals against Air Force

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9| Week 10|Week 11| Week 12| Week 13|Week 14|

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (34 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (26 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (20 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (19 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (12 Points)

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (9 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (6 Points)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (6 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Marvin Coleman, sophomore guard UNLV (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Neemias Queta, sophomore forward Utah State (4 Points)

Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (4 Points)

David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (3 Points)

Corey Manigault, senior forward New Mexico (2 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Abu Kigab, junior forward Boise State (1 Point)

Zane Martin, junior guard UNM (1 Point)

Matt Mitchell, junior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point)

Richard Washington, junior guard San Jose State (1 Point)

Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

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