USU’s Neemias Queta Named Semifinalist For Naismith Defensive Player Of The Year
Feb 25, 2021, 1:58 PM
Utah State center Neemias Queta (Courtesy of Eli Lucero / Herald Journal)
(Courtesy of Eli Lucero / Herald Journal)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – USU center Neemias Queta has been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award on Thursday.
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Neemias Queta is one of 10 semifinalists for the award given to the best defensive player in NCAA Division I basketball. The big man is the all-time career blocks leader in Utah State basketball history, getting the record in the middle of this season.
Queta has recorded 184 career blocks, including 62 this season, which is the most in the Mountain West Conference.
Not biased … @nemi1599 is just a BEAST!
Congrats on being named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
➡️ https://t.co/ahcccEVhsf#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/pXFtTkuwQw
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 25, 2021
He is one of just three players outside of the Power-5 conferences to be named a semifinalist. Queta is joined by Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey, Virginia guard Kihei Clark, Kansas guard Marcus Garrett, Richmond guard Jacob Gilyard, Alabama wing Herb Jones, Baylor guard Davion Mitchell, USC forward Evan Mobley, Tennessee wing Yves Pons and Baylor wing Mark Vital.
Queta averages three blocks per game, which is good for first in the conference and fifth in the nation. Utah State is 14-7 overall and 11-4 in conference play. They have four game remaining in the regular season beginning with a two-game series with Nevada. The first game will be on Friday, February 26 at 7 p.m. MST and the second game on Sunday, February 28 at 5 p.m. MST. Both games will be televised on FS1.
