Dent voted Mountain West Player of the Year, Pitino top coach

To the victor go the spoils.

For the first time in a dozen years, the UNM Lobos are the regular season champion of the Mountain West conference. On Tuesday, they hauled in plenty of recognition for their championship season.

Junior guard Donovan Dent, the first player in league history to average 20 points and six assists in conference play, was voted the Mountain West Player of the Year in a joint postseason poll comprised of the league's 11 head coaches and select media from all 11 media markets covering the conference.

Richard Pitino was voted the Steve Fisher Mountain West Coach of the Year.

Lobo center Nelly Junior Joseph joined Dent on the All-Mountain West First Team and was also on the All-Defense team. Tru Washington was one of three players on an honorable mention list.

It marks the third time two Lobos earned first team selections, joining Dairese Gary and Darington Hobson (2010) and Cameron Bairstow and Kendall Williams (2014).

Dent is the fifth Lobo to earn MW Player of the Year, joining Williams (2013), Hobson (2010), J.R. Giddens (2008) and Ruben Douglas (2003).

Dent led the league in scoring, was second in assists and top 10 in field goal percent, free throw percent, fouls drawn, steals and blocks. In the past 48 hours was also named a second team All-America by Andy Katz on his ballot for NCAA.com and third team All America by the Field of 68 Podcast Network.

As for Pitino, he is just the second UNM coach to win Mountain West Coach of the Year (Steve Alford won three of them in 2009, 2010 and 2013). The fourth-year Lobos coach has already earned $20,000 in bonuses this season — $10,000 for the team's regular season championship and $10,000 more for his being voted Coach of the Year.

2024-25 All-Mountain West Men’s Basketball Team

First Team

Tyson Degenhart, Sr., F, Boise State

Nique Clifford, Sr., G, Colorado State

Donovan Dent, Jr., G, New Mexico

Nelly Junior Joseph, Sr., C, New Mexico

Ian Martinez, Sr., G, Utah State

Second Team

Alvaro Cardenas, Sr., G, Boise State

Nick Davidson, Jr., F, Nevada

Nick Boyd, Sr., G, San Diego State

Miles Byrd, So., G, San Diego State

Mason Falslev, So., G, Utah State

Third Team

Ethan Taylor, Sr., G, Air Force

Kobe Sanders, Sr., G, Nevada

Josh Uduje, Sr., G, San José State

Dedan Thomas Jr., So., G, UNLV

Obi Agbim, Sr., G, Wyoming

Defensive Team

Nique Clifford, Sr., G, Colorado State

Nelly Junior Joseph, Sr., C, New Mexico

Miles Byrd, So., G, San Diego State

Magoon Gwath, R-Fr., F, San Diego State

Mason Falslev, So., G, Utah State

Honorable Mention

Kyan Evans, So., G, Colorado State

Tru Washington, So., G, New Mexico

Magoon Gwath, R-Fr., San Diego State

Player of the Year: Donovan Dent, Jr., G, New Mexico

Defensive Player of the Year: Magoon Gwath, R-Fr., F, San Diego State

Newcomer of the Year: Obi Agbim, Sr., G, Wyoming

Sixth Man of the Year: Javan Buchanan, Jr., F, Boise State

Freshman of the Year: Magoon Gwath, R-Fr., F, San Diego State

Steve Fisher Coach of the Year: Richard Pitino, New Mexico