Mountain West Crowns Utah State in Men's Hoops

The Mountain West conference announced its 2023-24 men’s basketball awards this week, and the Utah State Aggies were the standout program, hauling in several major honors.

Head coach Danny Sprinkle was named the Steve Fisher Coach of the Year after guiding the Aggies to the outright regular season conference title in his first season at the helm. Utah State went 14-4 in Mountain West play to claim their second conference championship since joining the league in 2013-14.

Sprinkle’s success was powered by the individual brilliance of junior wing Great Osobor, who was tabbed as both the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. In his debut season with the Aggies after transferring, Osobor averaged 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 57.9% from the field. His consistent double-double performances keyed Utah State’s title run.

The Aggies also landed guard Josh Uduje on the All-Mountain West Third Team as well as a Co-Sixth Man of the Year award. Uduje provided 8.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game off the bench.

While Utah State dominated the top individual awards, the All-Conference teams featured a balanced representation from around the Mountain West. San Diego State senior Lamont Butler made the First Team and was named Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.

New Mexico’s JT Toppin and UNLV’s Dedan Thomas Jr. split Freshman of the Year honors after outstanding debut campaigns. Toppin, a starter, led the Mountain West in rebounding at 9.6 per game. Thomas paced the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring during conference play at 14.4 points per contest.

Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, New Mexico and UNLV each had multiple players earn All-Conference recognition as well across the three teams and honorable mention lists.

The impressive across-the-board success for Utah State’s program highlights the tremendous season for the Aggies and Sprinkle’s immediate impact after being hired from a successful tenure at Oakridge Community College. With Osobor and several key pieces set to return, Utah State will be a force to be reckoned with again next year in the Mountain West.