Magoon Gwath’s 2o25-26 season is like a track & field runner attempting to run hurdles for the very first time.

High expectations, injuries, inconsistent play, and frustrations are all hitting the sophomore at once. That is not easy to deal with. The 7-footer is capable of overcoming these hurdles, but Gwath must be 100% in two areas: his health and his focus.

Gwath has worn a brace on his right knee in every game since his knee injury from last year. Gwath’s play this season hasn’t really been affected by that injury, but the medical staff is keen on the star player keeping the knee protected. Another injury has surfaced for the star player, and the pain is noticeable.

“Same thing as Wyoming, he has a hip flexor problem,” head coach Brian Dutcher said after the win against UNM. “At Wyoming, he turned it the wrong way, and we had to take him out. He tweaked it and got on the exercise bike. Today, like two minutes in, he had to take himself out because you can see he has a hip impingement of some kind, and it bothered him again.”

“It just ended up being a game where I started him in the second half, but we played small for the majority of the game. He came back in and got a frustration foul under the basket, and then at that point, it is hard to play with frustration; that is the greatest enemy of any player, is frustration. We know we can’t be the team we need to be to win the title without him, so we gotta get him healthy and get him confident and playing like he did against Fresno (State).”

🔴⚫️Player of the Game: Magoon Gwath⚫️🔴

18 PTS. 8 REBS. 1 STL. 2 BLKS. #GoAztecs @Aztec_MBB @magoongwath pic.twitter.com/JozcVMXFo0

— MESA (@mesa_aztecs) January 11, 2026

Against Fresno State, Gwath showcased why his ceiling is high. In 23 minutes, Gwath hit 8-12 shots and finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. He blocked two shots and stole a pass. Gwath’s three-point shooting has been remarkable this season. When he can set his feet and get a good look at the top of the paint or in the corner, he makes the shot more often than not. Gwath is shooting 57% from the field this season and 57.9% from beyond the arc (11-19). He’s also made six of his last seven.

Gwath knows how well he is shooting. He needs to earn the minutes to allow him to get into a groove. January is almost over, and the big man has not been able to settle down just yet. Gwath has just six games this season scoring in double figures, with only one 20-point game against Troy (his season debut). The inconsistency has been hard for him to push through with seven games with seven or fewer points.

Gwath’s rim protection isn’t as dominant either, as he is averaging only 1.5 blocks per game compared to his 2.6 from a season ago.

After the win against New Mexico, I asked Miles Byrd about what he told Gwath after the frustration foul that Dutcher was talking about in the quote above.

“I’m not going to say too much about it, but I told him to keep his head up. I told him not to take the frustration out on the court, you know, right there, a little bit of frustration into one play. We all know the type of person and player Goon is, so I am forever going to have his back on the court.”

The players have his back. With the team rolling right now, it is only going to make things easier for Gwath. The Aztecs have a tough game next on the schedule on the road at Grand Canyon. If the Aztecs want to escape Phoenix with a win this time around, then they will need the big man healthy and 100% locked in for an opportunity to start 8-0 in the conference.

Dutcher did mention that he hopes Gwath bounces back against Grand Canyon. However, because of the hip-flexor injury, his status has been downgraded to OUT against GCU, according to Mark Zeigler of the SDUT. Gwath could miss more time as well.

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.