UNLV forward Khem Birch became the third player in Mountain West Conference history to repeat as conference Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. The 6-foot-9 junior from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who tied the Mountain West league mark for blocks with 69 in 18 league games, also was selected second team all-conference.

Birch discusses winning back-to-back Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year awards, a hip flexor injury that sidelined him for practice on Monday and also the Rebels mindset heading into this week’s Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center starting with a Thursday afternoon quarterfinal game against Wyoming.