Aztecs’ rising star Miles Byrd aims to take a major jump this season, and it starts with his leadership

A few days after the San Diego State Aztecs fell to the UConn Huskies in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Miles Byrd posted on Instagram with the caption, “To be continued …” Then, a month later, Byrd posted on X by tagging the team’s account and saying “We locked in!!”

We 🔒ed in!! @Aztec_MBB

— Miles Byrd (@_mbyrd21) April 30, 2024

At the time, those two posts were relieving for Aztec fans. Many feared Byrd would follow his buddy Elijah Saunders and leave SDSU in the transfer portal.

After using transfers to add players for decades, the program is now familiar with serious defections. SDSU lost three players (Micah Parrish – Ohio State, Lamont Butler – Kentucky, and Elijah Saunders – Virginia) from last season and then brought in four replacements (Wayne McKinney III, Jared Coleman-Jones, Nick Boyd, and Kimo Ferrari) this offseason.

Byrd let the world know he was not going anywhere. Miles Byrd is committed to playing for San Diego State and this pairing has a chance to be a match made in heaven.

“The offseason was great,” Byrd said in an interview with East Village Times at SDSU media day. “I stayed in San Diego the whole summer just trying to be around the whole environment. Who doesn’t want to live in San Diego year-round anyway? You know, we lost some guys but picked up some good new pieces and I was here trying to develop relationships with the new guys.”

Byrd continued on with his statement about his new teammates.

“I feel really good about them,” Byrd said. “I think (as a team) we are really good this year. We are younger but I think we are really talented and play with a lot of energy.”

Byrd & SDSU, a Match Made in Heaven

Byrd embodies what the Aztec culture is all about. If anyone is unclear of what makes SDSU elite, Byrd’s highlights will provide the needed education. The 6-foot-7 guard plays 110% on the court at all times by hustling, diving for loose balls, taking charges, blocking shots, stealing passes, and contesting big men for rebounds. Not to mention, Byrd can also shoot the ball, as he drained 23 three-pointers last season.

Miles Byrd tonight:

3 points
6 assists (career high)
4 blocks (career high)
2 rebounds
1 steal

He is turning into something special for the Aztecs pic.twitter.com/HZm2IPmi8V

— Chris Spiering (@Clutch__Chris) February 17, 2024

Aztec culture starts with defense. Head coach Brian Dutcher preaches, “If you don’t play defense, you won’t play.” It’s really as simple as that. With Byrd’s length, he can defend multiple positions, which gives him an advantage on the defensive end.

“Not in my house” – Miles Byrd, probably
📺: @CBS pic.twitter.com/MdkRxoWDGn

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) March 16, 2024

The Aztecs are better with him on the court. Each time he stepped on the court last season, whether at Viejas Arena or on the road in front of a sold-out crowd, Byrd improved. Dutcher said to the media early on last season that he was proud of Byrd’s improvement on the defensive end and that it would be a big factor in him playing more minutes as the season progressed.

Well, it worked.

The redshirt sophomore can do it all. It is clear his hustle stands out more than anything, but his ability to light up an arena with his dunking is what fans love to see the most.

BYRD MAN FLY IN ANY WEATHER

Miles has been COOKING

🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️pic.twitter.com/ouawukxAL6

— Devine Sports Gospel (@DevineGospel) February 21, 2024

Byrd can fly high. Whether it’s blocking a shot, dunking, or rebounding, Byrd finds a way to get the fans on their feet cheering.

In the recent exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos, Byrd finished with 12 points, four steals, and one assist in 23 minutes. He shot 3-5 from the floor and went 5-8 from the free-throw line.

Byrd-Man Leading

The rising star also has more experience than most sophomores or players his age. The team’s success the last two seasons, playing for a national championship as well as the Sweet Sixteen again last year, can be impactful for an athlete’s development. The redshirt sophomore now wants to repeat by leading rather than following.

“You know, being a guy who just knows what we do around here and knows how we carry ourselves in the program,” Byrd said about his leadership qualities. “Me being a vocal leader, that is something I do and leading by example. I’m going first in every drill and showing (my teammates) the intensity we need to bring in the drill.”

This 2024-25 team will rely on him on both sides of the floor, and he wants to prove to the Aztec Nation that he can be the man for the job. He won’t light up the stat sheet like Jaedon LeDee did for SDSU last year, but there are multiple ways a leader can lead, and Byrd will find his way of doing so early in the season.

“I’m a guy who likes to make a lot of aggressive passes,” Byrd said when asked what he can improve on. “That could lead to turnovers, so, for me just cutting down turnovers and making sure that coach can trust me with the ball in my hand.”

Byrd’s energy is contagious and it will only be a matter of time until the whole team is following his lead.

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.