Yearly awards in men’s basketball were announced by the Mountain West Conference Tuesday morning, and only one CSU player was honored.
The conference’s Player of the Year award was given to Fresno State’s Marvelle Harris, who led the Bulldogs to a second-place 13-5 MW record. Harris lead the conference in assists (4.5 per game), steals (2.6) and also contributed 22.7 points per game (third in MW).
Harris edged out Wyoming’s Josh Adams for the Player of the Year award, even though Adams was the more electric scorer of the two, averaging a league-best 24.9 points per game. But the Cowboys went just 7-11 in the conference for a ninth-place standing, which likely factored into Harris receiving the nod.
The conference’s Coach of the Year award went to San Diego State’s Steve Fisher, who led the Aztecs to a third straight MW regular season title. This is the coach’s fourth MW Coach of the Year award in his 16 seasons with the Aztecs.
San Diego State also featured the MW Defensive Player of the Year in Skylar Spencer, who won the award for the second straight season Monday.
Senior guard Antwan Scott was the sole Ram to earn distinction, with a second-team All-Mountain West selection. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Wylie, Texas averaged 17.6 points per game in MW play as well as 4.2 rebounds.
Scott’s season was much improved from last year, which was cut short by a foot injury just four games in. Health was a concern coming into this season, but Scott did not run into any more trouble. He averaged 30.2 minutes per game, the third most minutes for the Rams, and started in every MW game.
Scott’s atypical college basketball career began in 2010 when he entered Ranger College, a junior college in his home-state of Texas. Since then, Scott has been apart of three Div. I programs, including Grambling State, from where he transferred to CSU two years ago.
This year, Scott’s production noticeably increased after the injury of senior guard Gian Clavell.
Scott will look to post his fifth consecutive 15-plus point game when the sixth-seeded Rams play the 11th-seeded San Jose State Spartans in Las Vegas in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament at 5 p.m. MT on Wednesday.
CSU has already beaten San Jose State twice this season. If CSU is able to pull out a third victory against the Spartans, it will match up against three-seed Boise State. The Rams have played Boise State hard this year, winning a controversial game and losing a nail-biter against the Broncos.
2015-16 INDIVIDUAL HONORSNameCl.Pos.InstitutionPlayer of the Year:Marvelle HarrisSr.GFresno State
Defensive Player of the Year:Skylar SpencerSr.FSan Diego State
Freshman of the Year:Jeremy HemsleyFr.GSan Diego StateNewcomer of the Year:Elijah BrownSo.GNew Mexico
Sixth Man of the Year:Brandon ClarkeFr.GSan José State
Coach of the Year:Steve Fisher San Diego State
Elijah BrownSo.GNew MexicoMarvelle HarrisSr.GFresno StateTrey KellSo.GSan Diego StateJames Webb IIIJr.FBoise State
Patrick McCawSo.GUNLV
Antwan ScottSr.GColorado State
Winston ShepardSr.FSan Diego StateTim WilliamsJr.FNew Mexico
Jalen MooreJr.WUtah State
Cameron OliverFr.FNevadaChris SmithSr.GUtah StateMikey ThompsonSr.GBoise State
Jason McManamenJr.GWyomingPatrick McCawSo.GUNLVCameron OliverFr.FNevadaWinston ShepardSr.FSan Diego StateSkylar SpencerSr.FSan Diego StateCollegian sports reporter Eddie Herz can be reached at sports@collegian.com and on Twitter @Eddie_Herz.