The point guard who led the San Diego State Aztecs to an almost perfect 2019-20 season, Malachi Flynn has been named the 2019-20 Mountain West Athlete of the Year.
Established by the Mountain West Joint Council in May 2010, the MW Athlete of the Year Awards are bestowed annually, to the one male and one female student-athlete who have achieved athletic excellence during the past academic year. In addition to superior athletic achievement, criteria for the MW Athlete of the Year Award requires that the nominees be in good academic standing throughout their season of competition, and demonstrate good character and conduct on and off the playing field
In 32 games, all starts, Flynn led the Aztecs to the 2019-20 Mountain West regular-season championship, the program’s conference-record 12th Mountain West title. He averaged 17.6 points (on 44.1 percent shooting, including 37.3 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 85.7 from the free throw line), 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He added 56 steals and three blocks in 1,072 total minutes on the floor.
SDSU finished the regular season as the only team in Division I with a single loss (28-1), and when competition was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Aztecs were one of three teams (Gonzaga & Dayton) with only two losses on the year. The team set team records for consecutive wins and wins to open a season (26), road record (11-0), conference wins (17) and conference record (17-1). San Diego State was the last undefeated team in the nation and held that distinction for 39 days.
Among Mountain West performers, Flynn ranked first in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals, third in scoring and free throw percentage, fifth in field goal percentage and three-point field goals and eighth in minutes.
A native of Tacoma, Washington, Flynn authored the most awarded single season in Aztec men’s basketball history.
On April 17, following his junior season, the Tacoma, Wash., native declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft and hired an agent, ending his college eligibility. He majored in interdisciplinary studies at San Diego State and now awaits the NBA Draft, scheduled for October 16, 2020.
Below, Malachi Flynn speaks with Jon Schaeffer about the Mountain West award, and preparing for his future.