(Wyoming release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Senior forward Hayden Dalton and junior guard Justin James were named First Team All-Mountain West on Sunday by members of the media who cover the league. Senior forward Alan Herndon was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Conference with senior guard Louis Adams being named Sixth Man of the Year. The all-conference awards as voted by the head coaches will be announced by the conference on Tuesday.
Dalton, a native of Parker, Colo., garnered First Team All-Conference honors ranking in the top-10 in the league in 17 different statistical categories. He finished the regular season averaging 18.1 points per game for fourth in the MW. Dalton added a team-high 8.0 rebounds for fifth in the conference. He recorded eight double-doubles on the season for sixth in the league. Dalton scored a career-high 36 points against San Diego State in the conference opener and recorded a career-high six three pointers against San Jose State on Feb. 17. He was sixth in the conference with 82 three pointers.
James, a native of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., was named First Team All-Conference finishing the regular season averaging 19.1 points per game for third in the league. During conference play, James averaged 20.8 points per game for second in the conference. He scored 20 or more points in 14 games this season. James leads the MW in field goal attempts at 421 and is second in field goals made with 198. He scored a career-high 33 points twice with once at Nevada and the other at San Jose State.
Herndon, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., was named the Defensive Player of the League in the conference along with Honorable Mention All-Conference honors, as he led the MW in blocks during the regular season with 69, which ranked No. 24 in the NCAA. He also led the league in blocks per game at 2.2 per game for No. 28 in the nation. He is the MW’s active leader in career blocks with 181, which ranks No. 15 amongst active NCAA players. Herndon also added 26 steals and grabbed 4.9 defensive rebounds per game for No. 10 in the conference.
Adams, a native of Chicago, Illinois, was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year. It is the second-straight season a Cowboy has garnered the honor after Justin James did so last season. Adams adds 9.9 points per game off the Wyoming bench. He got to the line 134 times during the regular season connecting on 93 of those attempts. Adams averaged 19.2 minutes per game and scored in double-figures 14 times including a career-high 31 points against New Mexico on Feb. 20. He is shooting 43 percent from the three-point line going 23-of-53.
All-Mountain West Teams
Player of the Year: Chandler Hutchison, Boise State
Coach of the Year: Eric Musselman, Nevada
Sixth Man of the Year: Louis Adams, Wyoming
Newcomer of the Year: Caleb Martin, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Brandon McCoy, UNLV
Defensive Player of the Year: Alan Herndon, Wyoming
All-MW First Team
Chandler Hutchison, Boise State (7 player of the year votes)
Caleb Martin, Nevada (2)
Jordan Caroline, Nevada
Justin James, Wyoming
Hayden Dalton, Wyoming
All-MW Second Team
Deshon Taylor, Fresno State
Brandon McCoy, UNLV
Cody Martin, Nevada
Sam Merrill, Utah State
Shakur Juiston, UNLV
All-MW Third Team
Koby McEwen, Utah State
Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State
Anthony Mathis, New Mexico
Kendall Stephens, Nevada
Ryan Welage, San Jose State
Honorable mention: Antino Jackson, New Mexico; Nico Carvacho, Colorado State; Trevor Lyons, Air Force; Malik Pope, San Diego State; Jordan Johnson, UNLV; Alan Herndon, Wyoming; Bryson Williams, Fresno State; Chris Sengfelder, Boise State; Lexus Williams, Boise State.
Sixth-seeded Wyoming opens the 2018 MW Championship in Las Vegas against 11th-seeded San Jose State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. MT in the Thomas & Mack Center.
