LAS VEGAS – San Diego State has been picked second in the annual Mountain West preseason media poll, the league announced Tuesday morning ahead of the start of the MW Basketball Media Day in Las Vegas.
The preseason favorite, according to the media that regularly cover the conference, is Utah State, which shared the 2018-19 regular-season title and won the conference tournament . The Aggies earned 187 points and all 17 first-place votes to finish in front of SDSU, the team Utah State edged in last season's Mountain West championship game, and its 150 points.
New Mexico has been predicted to finish in third-place in this year's preseason poll. UNM picked up 141 points to finish ahead of fourth-place Nevada (135 points) and fifth-place Boise State (128).
Fresno State (6th; 103 points), UNLV (7th; 89) and Air Force (8th; 76) were the next three teams to fall in line behind the Broncos with Colorado State (9th; 59), Wyoming (10th; 36) and San José State (11th; 17) rounding out the poll.
SDSU has finished either first or second in the Mountain West preseason poll in each of the last six years. It is also the 11th time in the 21 seasons the Mountain West has been in existence that San Diego State has been picked first or second in the poll. All 11 times, additionally, have occurred in the last 15 years. This is the first time in the last six years that the Aztecs haven't received at least one first-place vote.
Malachi Flynn, a junior transfer from Washington State who sat out last season due to NCAA Transfer Rules, was selected the league's Preseason Newcomer of the Year. In his final season at Washington State, Flynn averaged 15.8 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. Despite being predicted to be the second-best team in the league, San Diego State did not have a player voted to the preseason all-conference team.
Single-game tickets for the 2019-20 home schedule go on sale on Oct. 16 and season tickets for the campaign are on sale now. Season Ticket packages start as low as $199 and fans interested in purchasing season or single-game tickets can do so at goaztecs.com, by calling the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-7378 or by visiting the Aztec Ticket Office at Window E at SDCCU Stadium.
The Aztecs return six of their top nine scorers off a team that posted a 21-13 record and advanced to the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament in 2019. San Diego State is one of just nine schools nationally to win at least 19 games each of the last 14 seasons and is one of 29 schools to play in seven of the last 10 NCAA tournaments.
2019-20 Mountain West Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
Pl. Team – Points (1st-place votes)
1. Utah State – 187 (17)
2. San Diego State – 150
3. New Mexico – 141
4. Nevada – 135
5. Boise State – 128
6. Fresno State – 103
7. UNLV – 89
8. Air Force – 76
9. Colorado State – 59
10. Wyoming – 36
11. San José State – 17
2019-20 Preseason All-Conference Team
Lavelle Scottie, Sr., F, Air Force
Derrick Alston, Jr., G, Boise State
Nico Carvacho, Sr., F/C, Colorado State
Sam Merrill, Sr., G, Utah State
Neemias Queta, So., C, Utah State
2019-20 Preseason Player of the Year
Sam Merrill, Sr., G, , Utah State
2019-20 Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Malachi Flynn, Jr., G, San Diego State
2019-20 Preseason Freshman of the Year
K.J. Hymes, F, Nevada