SAN DIEGO – San Diego State junior guard Malachi Flynn has been named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News for the 2019-20 season. It is the first national honor for Flynn, a junior transfer, who led the Aztecs in scoring, assists and steals.
The announcement comes on the heels of his being included on Tuesday's United State Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IX Team. He is the first Aztecs to be recognized as an All-American since Xavier Thames in 2014 and joins Kawhi Leonard as just the second player in San Diego State men's basketball history to receive the All-American designation from The Sporting News. Leonard was a second-team performer in 2011.
Currently, the 6-1 guard, ranks seventh on the program's single season scoring list with 564 points. In addition, he is 4th in free throw percentage (87.5 percent), 6th in three point attempts (204), 7th in assists (163), 8th in three-pointers (76), 9th in points-rebounds-assists (870), 15th in field goal attempts (417), 18th in scoring average (17.6/g) and assists (163), and 23rd in field goals (184) and free throws (120).
A native of Tacoma, Wash., Flynn finished the regular season averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor, 37.2 percent from long range and 85.7 percent from the line. In league games, he was even more impressive. His scoring average went up to 18.9 points on 45.3 percent shooting including 34.7 percent from distance and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe. Earning starting assignments in all 32 games this season, the junior scored in double figures 31 times, led the team the team in scoring and in assists 21 times.
In the team's regular season finale, an 83-76 win at Nevada, Flynn poured in 36 points which are the most by an Aztec player since Brandon Heath tallied 37 against UNLV on Jan. 15, 2005 and he is just the eighth player in college basketball this season to produce a stat line of 36 points, five rebounds and five assists and the first from a Mountain West Conference team. His 36 points are the second most by an Aztec player this century. He earned two Mountain West Player of the Week honor this season.
In addition, he is on the watch lists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year, Lute Olson National Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Awards. Flynn was named the tournament MVP of both the Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational and the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. In separate votes by the league's coaches and media members, Flynn was named the Mountain West Player of the Year. He was also named the conference Defensive Player of the Year (coaches), its Newcomer of the Year (media) and a first-team All-Mountain West performer by both bodies.
Flynn and the Aztecs are in preparation for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. On Sunday they will find out where and against whom and on what day they will play their opening round game.
-SDSU-