DENVER—Utah Valley redshirt sophomore basketball player Fardaws Aimaq has been named the 2020-21 Western Athletic Conference Joe Kearney Award winner. Named in honor of former WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, the award is annually to the top male and female student-athletes in the WAC. California Baptist senior basketball player Ane Olaeta earned the honor on the women's side.
 
Aimaq made the most of his first year in the WAC, earning WAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year and WAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year honors after helping lead Utah Valley to a share of the WAC regular-season title. The native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada was named Riley Wallace Player of the Year as the top transfer after beginning his collegiate career at Mercer University in Georgia. 
 
Standing 6-foot-11, he led the nation in rebounding at 15.0 points per game, becoming the first player in 40 years to average 15 or more rebounds per game. He also averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting .485 from the field. In addition to being named First Team All-WAC, he was named to the WAC All-Defensive Team, WAC All-Newcomwer Team, NACBA All-District Team and Lefty Driesell Defensive All-Amera Team.
 
"Fardaws is the epitome of what a student-athlete should do and be. He excels in the classroom and on the court. His teammates and coaches look to him as a leader and an example of the standard of excellence," said UVU Director of Athletics Dr. Jared Sumsion. "He had one of the most successful individual performances in UVU history and accomplished things that haven't ever been done at UVU or in the Western Athletic Conference."
 
Aimaq is the third Utah Valley student-athlete to earn the award, joining men's track and field athlete Michael McPherson (2014-15) and men's soccer player Paul Hoffmeister (2016-17). He is the eighth men's basketball player to be named Joe Kearney award winner.