SAN DIEGO – In a poll voted on by the media members who regularly cover the Mountain West conference, Aztec forward Jaedon LeDee has been named the Player of the Year and earned first-team distinction, while Lamont Butler was included among those recognized as Honorable Mention performers and LeDee was also named a second-team All-American by Field of 68.com. The media vote is weighted toward the league schedule but includes all games.
LeDee, the leading scorer in the league and its third leading rebounder, earned seven of the possible 11 votes to be named the Player of the Year, and that is outside his 161 total votes, the most of any player in the poll, which placed him at the top of the first team honorees.
In a unique twist, LeDee is the media's second consecutive Player of the Year honoree to come from the 5-seed heading into the Mountain West Tournament. San Jose State's Amari Moore earned the distinction last year for the 5-seeded Spartans.
After last Friday's games, LeDee was one of two players in the nation to average at least 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting at least 55.7 percent from the floor and the only player in the nation who is averaging at least 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while also having hit 14 3-pointers. In addition, he is the second Division I player over the last 10 seasons to score 20-plus points on at least 55.0 percent shooting in the first five games of a season, joining Obi Toppin in 2019-20 who did it enroute to the 2020 John R. Wooden Award.
LeDee closed the regular season leading San Diego State in points (615) and points per game (20.5). His 615 points rank fifth for the program in a single-season and his 20.5 points per game rank No. 4 in the single-season list. In addition, he tops the squad in minutes as well as offensive, defensive and total rebounds. He is second in steals and blocks.
On a national level, 6-9, 240-pound forward, started the week ranked No. 6 in free throw attempts, No. 11 in free throws, No. 29 in points per game, No. 25 in points, No. 30 in field goals, No. 36 offensive rebounds and No. 35 double doubles.
LeDee put the nation on notice in the second week of the season, when in three games, concluding at the Continental Tire Main Event, he averaged 28.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and added a block. In the three games, he shot 57.1 percent from the floor (28-of-39), including 50.0 percent from the bonus distance (2-of-4) and 84.8 percent from the line (28-of-33). In addition, he dished out seven assists, had six steals and a block.
For his efforts, he was named the Continental Tire Main Event Most Valuable Player, a tournament that featured the Aztecs handing Saint Mary's a 79-54 drubbing as well as an overtime win against Washington. Following his MVP performance, he was chosen as ESPN National Player of the Week as well as Lute Olson and NCAA March Madness Player of the Week and garnered his first Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honor.
LeDee has scored in double figures in each of his 30 appearances this year and has totaled 11 double doubles, matching Jalen McDaniels (11 in 2018-19) with the most double-doubles by an Aztec since Jamaal Franklin had 13 in the 2012-13 season.
Last week, LeDee was named a finalist for the Karl Malone Award for the top power forward in the nation and earned inclusion on the John R. Wooden Award for the national player of the year.
Joining LeDee among the media's league honorees from San Diego State is senior guard Lamont Butler who received honorable mention designation.
Butler averaged 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 steals and was just below a 2:1 assists-to-turnover ratio. He shot a career-best 42.0 percent from the field and his 17 offensive rebounds matched a career high. Against Colorado State, on Feb. 13, he achieved his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and matched a career-high with a 23-point effort against Wyoming on Jan. 23. He totaled 14 double figure scoring games, 10 of which came in conference play, where he shot 44.9 percent from the floor and upped his point production to 9.8 per game and his rebounds to 3.1 per contest.
In addition to his media honors this morning, LeDee was named a second team All-American by The Field of 68 Media Network.
San Diego State is in preparation for its quarterfinal game at the Mountain West Tournament against UNLV which is scheduled to tip at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.