Utah State graduate Dan Akin was named the Sixth Man of the Year and also garnered all-MW honorable mention accolades. Junior Steven Ashworth, who picked up a couple of votes for Player of the Year, headed the second-team all-MW. Graduate Taylor Funk was an honorable mention selection for the league.

In MW action, Akin ranked fourth in rebounds per game (6.89) and defensive rebounds per game (5.11), tied for 11th in offensive boards per game (1.78) and ranked 12th in free throw percentage (.765). Akin averaged 11.7 points off the bench in league play, shooting a team-best 66.4 percent (71 of 107) from the floor. He came off the bench in all 18 games.

Ashworth was one of four players to receive Player of the Year votes, finishing second in the poll. In league play, Ashworth ranked first in free throw percentage (.920) and 3-pointers made per game (2.72), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.90), third in assists per game (4.83), third in 3-point percentage (.392), tied for eighth in steals per game (1.28) and ranked 10th in points per game (15.56). He started 15 of the 18 league games.

In MW play, Funk was sixth in 3-pointers made per game (2.11) and tied for 19th in points per game (12.56). Funk is second on the Aggie squad in conference play in scoring (12.6 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.6 rpg). He started all 18 games.

San Jose State guard Omari Moore was voted the Player of the Year. The 6-foot-6 senior helped lead the Spartans to a fifth-place finish in the MW after they were picked to finish 10th. Moore has season averages of 17.5 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He received seven of a possible 11 votes, with Ashworth getting two, and San Diego State’s Matt Bradley and Colorado State’s Isaiah Stevens each getting one.

Moore is joined on the all-MW First Team by Bradley, Stevens, Boise State’s Tyson Degenhart and New Mexico’s Jaelen House in the order of votes received.

San Jose State head coach Tim Miles was voted Coach of the Year. So far, he has led the Spartans to the second-most wins in program history (19) and the most regular season wins since the 1980-81 season. Miles received nine votes, with San Diego State’s Brian Dutcher and Boise State’s Leon Rice each receiving a vote.

San Diego State’s Lamont Butler was the Defensive Player of the Year, garnering six votes. House picked up four, and San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah got one.

New Mexico forward Morris Udeze, a Wichita State transfer, was voted the Newcomer of the Year by the narrowest of margins, getting five votes. UNLV’s EJ Harkless picked up four, Nevada’s Jarod Lucas one and San Diego State’s Darrion Trammell one.

Nevada’s Darrion Williams was the Freshman of the Year with eight votes. Air Force’s Rytis Petraitis received the other three votes.

Akin was on nine ballots for the Sixth Man, while a pair of Aztecs in Aguek Arop and Micah Parrish each got a vote.

Ashworth headed up the all-MW second team. He was joined by New Mexico’s Jamal Mashburn Jr., Harkless, Udeze and Wyoming’s Hunter Maldonado in order of votes received.

The all-MW third team was topped by Boise State’s Max Rice, followed by Lucas, Nevada’s Kenan Blackshear and Will Baker and Boise State’s Marcus Shaver Jr.

Ten players received at least one vote and made up the all-MW honorable mention squad. Those athltes were in order: Butler, Trammell, Funk, Fresno State’s Jemari Baker, Air Force’s Jake Heidbreder, Fresno State’s Isaiah Hill, Akin, Arop, Mensah and Petraitis.

Voting was conducted independent of Mountain West Conference oversight by select media directly covering teams in all 11 league markets. Voters ranked players one through 15.

The conference will release its awards on Tuesday afternoon, which is voted on by the coaches. The MW Tournament begins on Wednesday with three first-round games in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center. The quarterfinals follow on Thursday.

The Aggies will play the last game on Thursday at approximately 9:30 p.m. USU will face the winner of the Wyoming-New Mexico game with a berth to the semifinals on the line.