KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn has been named to the 2019-20 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, which recognizes men's basketball student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom during the past season.
Inclusion in the Honors Court, requires a student athlete to meet a high standard of academic achievement, including being a junior or senior, having a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 at the end of the academic year, at least one year of matriculation a their current school and competing for an NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA Division I or II institution with an NABC member coach.
Flynn is the third Aztec to be named to the NABC Honors Court, joining D'Erryl Williams, following the 2016-17 season, and Mehdi Cheriet, who earned the distinction after the 2009-10 season.
In 32 games last season, all starts, Flynn averaged 17.6 points (on 44.1 percent shooting, including 37.3 percent from three-point range, 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.
Flynn is arguably the most decorated men's basketball player in a single season in Aztec history after being named a second-team All-American after being recognized by The Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), United States Basketball Writers of America (USBWA) 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. In addition, he garnered second-team All-American honors from CBS Sports, NBC Sports and The Athletic and first-team distinction from Sports Illustrated and STADIUM.
An NABC first-team All-District 17 performer, he reached double figure scoring 31 times and in the lone game in which he was in single digits, he scored nine points. The Most Valuable Player of both the Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational and Basketball Hall of Fame Classic totaled at least 15 point 22 times, at least 20 points nine times and at least 30 points once, Flynn led the team in scoring 21 times, in assists 21 times and rebounds four times.
The second Aztec to be named to the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year, Naismith National Player of the Year and Lute Olson National Player of the Year Awards, 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 and the media poll Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, in addition to twice being named Mountain West Player of the Week.
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.
-SDSU-