On Monday, Magoon Gwath submitted the paperwork to enter the transfer portal, per UT’s Mark Zeigler.

The Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year’s time at San Diego State is over. He joins Nick Boyd, who made his decision this past weekend.

This is something that was inevitable. The college basketball world is not the same as we are all used to. NIL is changing the game, and players have an opportunity to make a lot of money before going pro. You really can’t fault the players. Per Zeigler, Gwath is expected to command an estimate well over one million dollars. San Diego State cannot compete with that despite having a ton of success over the years.

The MESA Foundation is doing everything they can to raise the bar and they are doing a great job. However, it’s difficult to compete with the power conferences. “There’s too much money at stake,” head coach Brian Dutcher told Zeigler.

Gwath was phenomenal in his one season as an Aztec. His awards speak for itself. Major-level teams will want his skills. The question is, will Gwath try and go pro? There is a slight chance that happens. Gwath has major upside and his potential is through the roof. NBA scouts are certainly aware of the 7-footer who is capable of scoring 20+ points and blocking 5+ shots in one game.

The thing is, Gwath still has a lot to learn and needs to develop further before competing with the bigs in the NBA. He is not quite big enough. It’s not expected he will gain 30+ pounds all of a sudden. Over the course of another year and a half, however, is a great timeline for him to continue to make a name for himself and develop into the player he wants to be.

His skills will be missed. The fans in San Diego loved “Goon.” He was a fan favorite, and the crowd at Viejas Arena spoke volumes when he made a play. Even people who weren’t familiar with the program knew who he was.

Gwath’s time at SDSU ends after a First Four exit to North Carolina. Those type of losses don’t come often for SDSU. He missed a lot of time at the end of the season, which clearly hurt the team. In the loss to North Carolina, he was the only one to play well. He showcased himself on a national stage, and it may have been enough for him to find the right situation.

With Gwath leaving and Jared Coleman-Jones graduating, the Aztecs will certainly aim to bring in a big man in the transfer portal. As of now, Pharaoh Compton and Miles Heide are slated to be atop the depth chart in the front court.

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.