Neemias Queta’s defensive prowess was recognized Tuesday.
The Utah State center was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Bleacher Report took it a step further, naming Queta its national defensive player of the year.
Queta, who was also the MWC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, is averaging three blocks per game this season, fifth nationally. He’s also averaging 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and during conference play, he was the lone MWC player averaging a double-double with 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
The Aggies were well-represented on the All-MWC team. Queta was named to the first team and the defensive team, while senior forward Alphonso Anderson earned sixth man of the year honors. Junior forward Justin Bean was a second-team recipient, while junior guard Marco Anthony joined Queta on the defensive team.
Big Sky
Southern Utah coach Todd Simon has led his T-Birds to a 19-3 record and the program’s first regular-season conference championship in 20 years, and he was named Big Sky Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
“What Coach Simon has accomplished at Southern Utah University in such a relatively short amount of time is amazing,” SUU athletic director Debbie Corum said in a statement. “He took over a struggling program, and turned it into a winner, then a champion. The passion and love he has for the student-athletes is unmatched.”
Southern Utah had several players earn All-Big Sky honors, including guard Tevian Jones (first team), forward Maizen Fausett (second team), guard John Knight III (second team) an guard Dre Marin (honorable mention).
Weber State, meanwhile, had a pair of players win individual awards: guard Isiah Brown was the league’s newcomer of the year, and forward Dillon Jones was the freshman of the year. Brown also made the conference’s first team, while guard Seikou Sisoho Jawara was named to the second team.
WAC
UVU sophomore center Fardaws Aimaq took home a litany of honors Tuesday, as he was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being selected to the All-WAC first team, all-defensive team and all-newcomer team.
Aimaq is averaging 15.1 rebounds per game this season — an average of two more per game than the second-best player nationally. It’s the first time since 1980 a player has averaged over 15 boards per game. Aimaq also is averaging 14.5 points per game.
Three other Wolverines took home All-WAC honors — leading scorer Jamison Overton (15.9 points) was named to the second team, while Evan Cole and Trey Woodbury earned honorable mention.
Dixie State’s Cameron Gooden and Hunter Schofield also were given honorable mention.