Dent and Joseph Named Preseason All-Mountain West
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two members of the New Mexico men’s basketball team were honored Thursday as the 2024-25 Preseason All-Mountain West Team was announced. Junior guard Donovan Dent and senior center Nelly Junior Joseph were recognized as the Lobos were one of just two teams with multiple selections to the 10-man team.
The preseason All-Mountain West honors and projected order of finish was announced at the start of the conference’s media day in Las Vegas. Reigning conference champion New Mexico was selected second in the preseason Mountain West poll, its highest spot since 2013-14 (first).
Dent and Joseph’s honors mark the second straight year that the Lobos had a pair of preseason All-Mountain West selections. Last year, Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn, Jr. were named to the team.
Dent was named preseason All-Mountain West after earning second-team all-conference honors last season. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per game as a sophomore, including three double-doubles (points/assists). Dent scored a career-high 31 points against Boise State and had 15 points and a career-high 14 assists in the win over No. 16 Utah State.
Joseph was honored after averaging 8.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in his first season as a Lobo in 2023-24. A two-time All-MAAC first-team honoree while at Iona, he enters this season with 43 career double-doubles. Last year, he scored a season-high 26 points on 11-12 shooting in the victory over Utah State.
Joining Dent and Joseph on the preseason All-Mountain West Team were Tyson Degenhart of Boise State (the preseason MW Player of the Year), Omar Stanley of Boise State, Alvaro Cardenas of Boise State, Nique Clifford of Colorado State, Nick Davidson of Nevada, Reese Waters of San Diego State, Dedan Thomas , Jr. of UNLV and Ian Martinez of Utah State. Kobe Sanders of Nevada was the pick for preseason Newcomer of the Year and Pharoah Compton of San Diego State was the preseason Freshman of the Year.
Boise State earned 19 of the 26 first place votes to be the preseason favorite in the Mountain West. The Lobos had one place vote as they were picked second, followed by Nevada in third, San Diego State in fourth, UNLV in fifth and Utah State in sixth, as the top six all got at least one first place vote. Colorado State, San Jose State, Wyoming, Fresno State and Air Force rounded out the predicted order of finish.
The Lobos will begin the season on Oct. 28 when they host future Mountain West foe UTEP for a charity exhibition. Game time is 7 p.m. at The Pit and proceeds will benefit the UNM Children’s Hospital.
2024-25 Lobo Men’s Basketball season tickets and single game tickets are on sale now at GoLobos.com/tickets.