UNLV’s Harkless earns All-Mountain West honors

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Monday, March 6, 2023 | 10 a.m.

E.J. Harkless was the only UNLV player to earn All-Mountain West honors this season, landing on the all-conference second team in the media poll released Monday.

San Jose State guard Omari Moore was named the conference’s Player of the Year, garnering 155 points. Boise State big man Tyson Degenhart was the runner-up with 119 points, followed by Colorado State guard Isaiah Stevens (117 points), San Diego State guard Matt Bradley (114) and New Mexico guard Jaelen House (107).

Moore, Degenhart, Stevens, Bradley and House made up the All-MWC first team.

Harkless earned 85 points to secure his spot on the second team, and he was one vote shy of being named Newcomer of the Year. New Mexico big man Morris Udeze took that honor with five votes; Harkless gathered four votes.

No other UNLV player picked up a vote in any category.

Moore received seven votes for Player of the Year. Utah State guard Steven Ashworth got two votes, while Stevens and Bradley got one apiece.

An equal number of media members from each of the 11 Mountain West markets voted in the poll.

San Jose State’s Tim Miles took home Coach of the Year for overseeing the Spartans’ turnaround from 1-17 in Mountain West play a year ago to 10-8 this season.

The All-Mountain West second team was comprised of Ashworth, New Mexico guard Jamal Mashburn Jr., Harkless, Udeze and Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado.

The third team was Boise State guard Max Rice, UNR guards Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear, UNR big Will Baker and Boise State guard Marcus Shaver.

San Diego State wing Lamont Butler was named Defensive Player of the Year. The Freshman of the Year award went to UNR’s Darrion Williams, while Utah State’s Dan Akin was named 6^th Man of the Year.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.