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Utah State’s Neemias Queta named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the year by Mountain West

The junior center was also All-MWC First Team. Justin Bean made the second team.

Utah State's Neemias Queta drives into UNLV's Cheikh Mbacke Diong during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah State, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

  | March 8, 2021, 9:15 p.m.
| Updated: 10:18 p.m.

Utah State men’s basketball’s big man has earned himself a pair of huge awards.

The Mountain West Conference on Monday named Aggies junior center Neemias Queta as Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Queta was chosen unanimously by media for the defensive accolade.

Queta averaged 15.4 points and a conference-leading 10.4 rebounds per game, making him the only player in the Mountain West to average a double-double during league games. He also led the conference in blocks (3.5) and field goal percentage (58.4%).

Queta is also the only player in the conference history with the overall stat line of 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game. He’s the only player in the country this season to amass more than 65 assists and more than 65 blocks.

Additionally, Queta made the conference’s All-Mountain West First Team. His teammate, junior forward Justin Bean, made the second team. Junior guard Brock Miller received an honorable mention.

The Aggies start their conference tournament run Thursday as the No. 2 seed. The team has won the tournament and thus earned an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons.