San Diego State Aztecs starting forward Magoon Gwath is one of the top players in all of college basketball. This is no secret.

The 7-footer can do remarkable things on a basketball court, and fans on The Mesa are in love with the South Sudanese product.

2024-25 was Gwath’s redshirt-freshman season. He put himself on the map quickly by establishing dominance on the defensive end, being one of the nation’s top shot blockers. Over the course of the season, Gwath progressed and turned himself into one of the best two-way players, not only in the Mountain West Conference, but in the entire country. The freshman won MW Defensive Player of the Year as well as being named to the All-Mountain West Defensive Team.

Toward the end of the season, the Aztecs were playing great basketball as they typically do. Head coach Brian Dutcher and his team were once again fighting for a top seed in the conference and attempting to make another run in the NCAA Tournament.

In a late-season contest on the road against Utah State, the 7-footer injured his knee early in the game. He hyperextended it and missed the rest of the regular season and conference tournament in Las Vegas. Gwath would later get arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

Gwath returned for the First Four battle against North Carolina. However, the journey back was not easy.

Coming for it all | @magoongwath

Magoon Gwath, the Mountain West Defensive & Freshman Player of the Year is coming back stronger than ever for a season with no limits.#GoAztecs @Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/2iKREDzKQq

— MESA (@mesa_aztecs) August 25, 2025

“Getting hurt, I felt that,” Gwath said in the interview. “It hurt the team — it hurt me.”

The knee injury certainly wounded the Aztecs in that game against Utah State, as the Aggies would eventually go on to sweep the Aztecs in the season series with a 79-71 win. Remember, the Aztecs blew a huge lead to the Aggies in the first meeting at Viejas Arena, as Utah State came back and won 67-66 off a game-winning three-point shot.

The Aztecs did not have Gwath until the game against UNC, and as a result, lost to UNLV on the road in Vegas, as well as the first matchup in the conference tournament against Boise State, when the Broncos won 62-52. A win in either of those two games could have changed the Aztecs’ March Madness outlook.

Gwath had an interesting offseason. He entered the transfer portal as well as the NBA Draft, and when many thought he would take his talents elsewhere, Gwath decided to return to The Mesa for at least one more season. Miles Byrd followed weeks later.

The freshman star and MW Defensive Player of the Year immediately began to get bigger and stronger for the 2025-26 season, one with some of the biggest expectations in program history.

“Magoon (Gwath) has made huge strides since he got here,” SDSU Strength & Conditioning Coach Daniel Marshall said. “He’s put on a lot of weight. I would say 95% of it is muscle. For him, though, I think he took it to a new level after that injury. Since then, he has been dialed in with his nutrition, dialed in with getting his protein, getting all his calories, his hydration, everything. I’m really proud of the way he has worked and the way he has attacked this offseason.”

Getting high praise from the staff is always a great sign ahead of the season. Gwath is giving off the vibes that he is ready to take his game to a new level, and it’s clear already that his maturity is rising.

“I am looking forward to the season,” Gwath said. “I’ve been in the weight room working hard. I feel like, the biggest struggles I had last year was just my body preventing me from doing stuff on the court, and now that I’ve gotten my body right, I’m going to be in much better shape and a much better player.”

Gwath will be expected to make a major leap on both sides of the floor. His shot blocking will be elite, and if he can improve in the paint, then he will be one of the more dominant players in the conference. With Byrd, Pharaoh Compton, BJ Davis, Miles Heide, and Reese Waters playing alongside him, San Diego State will once again have one of the best defenses in the nation.

Gwath averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 0.4 steals per game last season. It would not be difficult for Gwath to average double digits in points and at least 7+ rebounds per game in 2025-26. With how strong Gwath is getting, averaging 3.0 blocks per game won’t be out of the ordinary for the Aztecs’ star.

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.