When the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the San Diego State Aztecs in the First Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the initial expectation was that both Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath had played their final game in Scarlet & Black.

Before the season ended, Byrd informed the media that he had two options. Go pro, or return to San Diego State. Byrd let fans know right away that he was an Aztec for Life. Last week, Byrd officially announced his return to the program with unfinished business.

“I don’t think there is a ceiling.”

Appreciate @_mbyrd21 coming by to discuss his decision to pass on the NBA Draft, and the potential for a special season with the Aztecs.

Watch our full conversation here: https://t.co/yjwc1oDgry pic.twitter.com/0a5olKdkoC

— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) June 2, 2025

It’s hard to put into words how much that means to the program and its fan base. San Diego State has not had a player entering a season with a ceiling as high as Byrd since Kawhi Leonard.

Nobody expected the jump that Jaedon LeDee had from the 2022-23 season to the 2023-24 season. Lamont Butler is a SDSU legend, but does not have the potential Byrd has on both ends of the floor. Malachi Flynn was a terrific offensive player and remains a consistent scorer in the NBA G League. However, Flynn did not have as high of expectations as Byrd now has with SDSU. Jalen McDaniels, Matt Mitchell, Matt Bradley, and Xavier Thames were all great players, but did not have the expectations of being a potential NBA Lottery pick. McDaniels, Thames, and Flynn were all drafted, but Flynn was the only one taken in the first round.

With another stellar junior season from Byrd, he could be drafted within the first 14 picks. In fact, he could be joined by his teammate Magoon Gwath, who has first-round potential as well.

Gwath’s offseason started on a different route. He immediately entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal and reportedly had interest from big schools like Kentucky. Gwath’s intentions were to go pro. He informed the media of that, which left the notion that he had played his last game with SDSU.

As it turns out, both of these young stars will play one more season under head coach Brian Dutcher. Dutcher and his coaching staff know their game the best, and are the right group of coaches to gear Byrd and Gwath up for the NBA.

Nothing is guaranteed. The 2025 NBA Draft has yet to happen, so we do not know what this draft class will look like. As it looks now, it seems as if both Byrd and Gwath can be drafted in the first round.

Here is a breakdown on how each player can further improve their chances of getting drafted in 2026.

Miles Byrd

Byrd excels on the defensive end. With his size and length, Byrd can defend multiple positions. The way he flips momentum by stealing an inbounds pass or diving on the floor for a loose ball will excite an NBA coaching staff. At the wing position, Byrd will be defending the opposing team’s best off-guard. If that team’s best offensive player is the point guard, he can also defend him.

BYRD COMIN’ THROUGH

📺 @CBSSportsCBB pic.twitter.com/NKOgi33jys

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) January 15, 2025

Defending in the NBA is a different animal. You are facing elite athletes who can hit shots from anywhere on the court. Not just wide open shots, but toughly contested ones no matter the strength of difficulty. The average height of an NBA player is 6-foot-7, the same height as Byrd.

NBA coaches love players who can defend well. The 20-year-old can give many teams an advantage with his ability to defend multiple positions.

Imagine Byrd as a role player on the current Detroit Pistons or New York Knicks teams. Those teams defend extremely well and rely on their aggressiveness on that side of the floor. When the Knicks and Pistons met in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, you saw a highly competitive battle on both sides of the floor for all six games. Byrd will excel in that type of environment.

Miles. Byrd.

That’s the tweet.

📺 @CBSSportsCBB pic.twitter.com/azADZUir5j

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) January 15, 2025

Along with his ability to steal passes and flip momentum by scoring on the other end, Byrd can also block shots at a high rate.

Add it to the highlight reel

📺 @CBSSportsCBB pic.twitter.com/mEOlO12peG

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) January 15, 2025

As you can see, he put on a masterclass performance at home in the victory against Colorado State. Byrd made those type of game-changing plays all season long. He finished his redshirt sophomore season with 64 steals (2.1 per game) and 32 blocks (1.1 per game) in 30 contests.

NBA Draft Combine

The incoming redshirt junior recently took part in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. During the two weeks he was there, he gained experience that will help him this upcoming season and during the NBA Draft process one year from now. He met with a few NBA teams, including the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics, right before the deadline to commit to the draft or return to school, according to coach Dutcher.

San Diego State wing Miles Byrd did a good job showcasing what makes him an enticing prospect to NBA teams in Chicago. Adaptable blend of shooting, instincts, and length. Highest STL rate of all early entrants. 6-foot-10 wingspan. Still just 20 years old. pic.twitter.com/nEz8hzmsxr

— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) May 18, 2025

Below, you can see Byrd’s combine data compared to former NBA players during their combine process.

Byrd compares well to current NBA stars and defensive-minded players. Forward Luguentz Dort is on the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will play against the Indiana Pacers for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. He plays a major role for the Thunder at the power forward position, despite being just 6-foot-4. His size allows him to defend at a high level, which gives him a unique style. Dort is considered one of the better defensive players in the NBA, and he was an undrafted player. With Byrd’s first-round potential, he can mirror a career similar to Dort, even if he is three inches taller.

For his final season on The Mesa, Byrd will improve on both sides of the floor. He doesn’t have many flaws. More and more massive moments will come. If he can command the ball more offensively and become more of a factor in that role, he will further solidify himself as a talented NBA prospect.

Magoon Gwath

Magoon Gwath’s road to the NBA will not be the same as Byrd’s. The redshirt sophomore has three years of eligibility left, and it isn’t confirmed that he will declare for the draft after this next season. The likelihood is that he will, and an improved sophomore season will help him get there.

Gwath is a matchup nightmare for many opposing players. Not only can he block shots like the best of them, but the 7-footer can hit spot-up three-pointers and is athletic enough to score off the dribble. During his freshman season, Gwath dominated on both sides of the floor. Many teams, despite having film on him, continued to try him at the rim, and it didn’t end well for them.

Two comical blocked shots from Magoon Gwath. pic.twitter.com/eWKzGnlKfS

— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) October 31, 2024

Gwath ended the season 7th in the nation in blocks per game at 2.6. Gwath played in just 26 games and blocked 68 total shots. He also added 11 steals, all while scoring 221 points on the season and averaging 8.5 points per game.

The 7-footer’s offensive game is fun to watch. He plays at a slow pace but seems to be in complete control, which is not easy to do at his size. His shooting form is not quick, and he sets himself up by bending his knees and really following through on his shot. He has a great feel for the ball and does not shy away from an open look, whether it is from the mid-range or beyond the arc.

In the video below, you can see Gwath Euro step his way to a basket on the road at CSU.

The intriguing flashes have remained a constant from Magoon Gwath: 15.2 PTS, 9.4 REB, 2.2 BLK, and 1.0 3PM over the last 5. Fluid mover at his size with soft touch and impressive defensive range. The 19-year-old broke San Diego State’s freshman blocks record this weekend. https://t.co/ZWWIZoh166 pic.twitter.com/i1d5GCSyFV

— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) February 10, 2025

Gwath’s ability to spread the floor is what will get him to the NBA. He isn’t just a good two-way player, he is what this new generation of teams are looking for in a big man. Facing an opposing big man in the NBA will force that player to cover Gwath on the perimeter rather than being at his strength in the paint. Gwath would make many teams better, and there isn’t an eye-opening team out there right now, because it’s too early to tell. However, in this new era of basketball, he could realistically play for any team.

Gwath has a few parts of his game he needs to work on before he is fully ready for the NBA. More game experience will help him. The parts of his game that he needs to work on include strength, stamina, and focus. If he can improve on all three of those aspects, then he will be a dominant basketball player for years to come.

Conclusion

The 2025-26 season will be one for the history books for SDSU men’s basketball. This team has extremely high expectations, and they should be an AP Top 25 team entering the campaign. Not only that, but Mountain West preseason favorites. Byrd could very well be the preseason Player of the Year, and Gwath the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

This team has championship aspirations, led by two very good two-way players. Anything shy of an NCAA Tournament birth is a failure, but this group of players wants more than that. After losing badly to North Carolina, they have a bad taste in their mouths and are ready to make another deep run to the National Championship.

Then, it is only a matter of time until we see the dynamic duo of Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath dominating in The Association.

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.