Malachi Flynn Named MW Male Athlete of the Year

Former San Diego State University point guard Malachi Flynn has been named the 2019-20 Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year. Flynn is the second male student-athlete in school history to be named MW Male Athlete of the Year, following running back Rashaad Penny in 2017-18, and the third overall SDSU student-athlete to receive the award. Track and field student-athlete Shanieka Thomas was the first student-athlete in school history to be honored, having been named MW Female Athlete of the Year in 2012-13.

The annual MW Athlete of the Year Awards have been bestowed since 2009-10 one male and one female student-athlete who have achieved athletic excellence during the previous 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, 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, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game.

Among Mountain West performers, he ranked first in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals, third in scoring and free throw percentage, and fifth in field goal percentage and three-point field goals.

Flynn was named a second-team All-American after being recognized by The Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers of America and The Sporting News. With those four honors, he joined SDSU Hall of Famers Michael Cage and Kawhi Leonard as the third consensus All-American in program history.    

The second Aztec to be named to the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team, Flynn was the 2019-20 Mountain West Player of the Year and a first-team All-Mountain West performer in both the coaches and media polls. He earned the coaches poll Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, inclusion on the Mountain West All-Defensive Team, Mountain West All-Tournament Team, and the media poll Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, in addition to twice garnering Mountain West Player of the Week honors.

The Aztecs finished the year with a 30-2 record and the No. 6 ranking in the nation in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The ranking matches the best final ranking the Aztecs have had in the poll, tying the No. 6 ranking the 2010-11 team achieved. 

On April 17, following his junior season, Flynn declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft.