USU Star Neemias Queta Declares For NBA Draft
Apr 12, 2019, 5:59 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
Neemias Queta #23 of the Utah State Aggies looks on against the San Diego State Aztecs during the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LOGAN, Utah – After a fantastic freshman season at Utah State, Neemias Queta has declared that he will pursue a spot in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The 6’11” center from Portugal made his announcement in a post on Twitter.
“I would like to thank my coaches, specifically Coach Smith and Coach Peterson, for believing in me, teaching me and for encouraging me to be the best that I can be, EVERYDAY,” wrote Queta in a graphic posted in the tweet.
🙏🏿❤️ pic.twitter.com/jfJGYEwelU
— Quetão 🔥🤷🏿♂️ (@nemi1599) April 12, 2019
While he plans on hiring an agent and will likely go through the Draft Combine and work out for teams, Queta will maintain his eligibility to return to school if he is not taken in the draft due to recent rule changes.
With Queta manning the middle for the Aggies, Utah State had a terrific season in 2018-19. Queta himself was named the Mountain West Conference’s Freshman of the Year as well as the Defensive Player of the Year. He started all 35 games, averaging 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
It may only be April … BUT we are thinking November right now! #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/jtin1hKRYi
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) April 11, 2019
Led by Queta and Mountain West Player of the Year Sam Merrill, the Aggies won the conference’s regular season and tournament championships. They made it to the NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated by Washington in the first round.
After last year’s success, Utah State was labeled as a potential top 20 team next season by many national outlets. If Queta ends up being drafted, it is likely that the expectations will be severely lowered.
