The San Diego State Aztecs Men’s Basketball squad will look much different this season.

After a Sweet 16 run last season, head coach Brian Dutcher and his staff lost six key contributors, headlined by Jaedon LeDee, who is now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves as an undrafted free agent. Darrion Trammell and Jay Pal graduated, while Lamont Butler (Kentucky), Elijah Saunders (Virginia), and Micah Parrish (Ohio State) hit the transfer portal.

Those six Aztecs played a crucial role in the team’s success not only last year but the season prior when they overcame all odds and reached the 2023 National Championship Game.

SDSU has established itself as one of the premier basketball programs in the country despite not having the “blue blood” label or place in a power conference. SDSU’s elite coaching staff, led by Dutcher, has created this reputation.

Dave Velasquez has been with San Diego State for 22 years and is entering his 23rd season and 12th as an assistant coach. The university recently hired Ryan Badrtalei, who previously coached at UC Irvine for 19 seasons. After Chris Acker left San Diego State for the Long Beach State head coaching job, Dutcher needed another assistant to complete his staff. This move could end up being very beneficial to the players’ development.

JayDee Luster is another coach on the staff that deserves recognition. Since signing with the staff in 2021, Luster has played a key role in recruiting. He helped land players like Trammell, Saunders, Miles Byrd, BJ Davis, and a few more in the 2024-25 recruiting class. In 2015-16, Luster was on the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff as a player development coach.

Aguek Arop, who was recently interviewed by East Village Times, is entering his second season as the director of player development.

Losing three players to the portal certainly hurts the Aztecs’ chances of maintaining their dominance within the conference. The good news is that they were able to bring in three athletes they hope can replace them. Nick Boyd, Jared Coleman-Jones, and Wayne McKinney III transferred in and will play major roles for the Aztecs this season.

McKinney III is coming to SDSU from down the interstate 8 at USD where he starred the past three seasons, earning all-WCC second-team honors last year. He played high school ball at Coronado High School.

San Diego State signed walk-on Kimo Ferrari, who is transferring from Brown. He is also a local product from Francis Parker High School.

There is excitement heading into the preseason. The team will get to see who will step up and be the “guy” moving forward.

LeDee certainly was the team’s top player last year. With Butler, Saunders, and Parrish gone, does someone need to step up and become the leader?

Or can the players rely on team success with a handful of guys leading the way?

We will find out soon enough.

Getting to Know the New Guys

Nick Boyd – guard – senior – Florida Atlantic University

Boyd is an athletic guard who is capable of lighting up an arena. The FAU transfer started 14 times for the Owls last season and appeared in 27 games. He averaged 9.3 points and 2.7 rebounds for a squad that had a lot of expectations heading into the 2023-24 year. He scored in double digits 12 times and had a career-high 21 points against Tulane.

FAU did not have the season they hoped for after a great year prior which ultimately saw them fall to SDSU in the Final Four thanks to “The Shot” from Butler. To make matters even crazier, Butler hit that shot while Boyd was defending him. Now, Boyd will put on an Aztec uniform with a goal in mind: to get back to the Final Four.

Boyd will compete for a starting position, and there is a good chance he will start alongside Miles Byrd, Reese Waters, or McKinney III in the backcourt. If he doesn’t start, he will be one of the first players off the bench for coach Dutcher.

Prediction: Boyd will be a regular starter throughout the season. The better defense he plays, the more time he will see.

Jared Coleman-Jones (JCJ) – forward – senior – Middle Tennessee State

Coleman-Jones brings the Aztecs much-needed scoring ability in the frontcourt. A transfer from MTSU, the big man is capable of scoring the rock, controlling the boards, and can even pass the ball better than most his size. His finesse and athleticism allow him to keep defenders guessing on the offensive side of the court.

The transfer averaged 11 points and 7.6 rebounds last season and also had 35 blocks and 20 steals. A big bonus in his game is that he can shoot from deep. He finished last year going 19-43 (44%) from beyond the arc after shooting five total career threes before last season.

Coleman-Jones will more than likely start in the frontcourt. However, it is unclear at the moment who will start with him. Dutcher could choose to go big and start Magoon Gwath, Miles Heide, or even incoming freshman Pharaoh Compton. Dutcher has a history of playing smaller lineups, so a unit of McKinney, Boyd, Byrd, Waters, and Coleman Jones is a strong possibility.

EVT interviewed Coleman-Jones early in the offseason. He will bring a unique style to the Aztecs.

Prediction: Coleman-Jones will be the team’s starting center and be a major factor in the team’s success this season.

Wayne McKinney III – guard – senior – University of San Diego

The San Diego native stays in the area and will leave a USD team on the rise for a program that has a chance to play in the Big Dance.

McKinney III started all 32 games for the Toreros last year. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. McKinney helped lead USD to a winning record (18-15) for the first time since the 2018-19 season and third since 2007-08.

He scored a career-high 31 points against Pacific and scored in double digits 26 times throughout the campaign. At the end of the year, he earned all WCC second-team honors.

Just as Boyd does, McKinney will have the opportunity to earn a starting role this season. He stole the ball 42 times last year and has proven to be an elite defender, even though his offense stands out.

Prediction: McKinney will be named a starting point guard and be the team’s leading scorer.

Kimo Ferrari – guard – senior – Brown University

Ferrari will play his final season as a walk-on for the Aztecs. He has a bit of an uphill climb ahead of him, but his shooting ability could see him earn minutes. On March 2, Ferrari finished with 39 points on 14-16 shooting and 10-12 from beyond the arc in the win against Dartmouth.

Ferrari is a San Diego native. He played high school ball right down the street from the University of San Diego. He was the team MVP three times and was a two-time SD All-County player.

Ferrari believes he has a great opportunity in front of him, as he mentioned to EVT earlier in the offseason.

Prediction: Appears in a handful of games this season.

Pharaoh Compton – forward – freshman – Arbor View High School

Compton committed to SDSU over schools like LSU, Tennessee, Iowa, Arizona State, and UNLV. He was a 4-star recruit who brings a ton of upside and potential to the Aztecs. He was also the No. 1 player in the state of Nevada and 19th power forward overall, according to 247sports. Compton is 6-foot-8 but has a wingspan of 7-foot-3 and is one of the most athletic players on the West Coast.

Compton has the ability to become a special player for the Aztecs. He may have the opportunity to start but with some of the players ahead of him, it may be unlikely that he does early in the season.

Pharaoh Compton. 🔜 🔴⚫️pic.twitter.com/I2Z4BURnOp

— Jon Schaeffer (@jonschaeffer) October 16, 2023

Prediction: Begins his collegiate career as a rotational player off the bench. Will play more minutes as the season progresses.

Thokbor “David” Majak – forward – freshman – Bor, South Sudan

Majak brings a ton of size to the Aztecs. At 7 feet, he has a wingspan of 7-foot-4 and a ton of speed. According to the release put out by the school announcing his commitment, he could be one of the faster players on the roster. Yes, you read that right. He will likely redshirt unless he shows the coaching staff he is beyond ready to begin his collegiate career. Due to the guys in front of him, it will be hard for him to earn minutes this season. Majak is on track to being a big part of the future for the Aztecs.

Prediction: Redshirt

Taj DeGourville – guard – freshman – Wasatch Academy 

Like Compton, DeGourville was a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2024. ESPN listed him as the No. 2 player in Nevada right behind Compton even though DeGourville finished his high school career in Utah. The pair of Las Vegas products both signed their letter of intent roughly around the same time.

Degourville chose San Diego State over programs like Southern California, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Harvard, as well as Mountain West programs, Nevada, and Utah State, among others.

Prediction: Comes off the bench to begin his collegiate career. Could end up redshirting due to lack of minutes.

Same Faces – New Beginnings

Magoon Gwath – forward – redshirt freshman – Euless, Texas

Gwath might be the one player who fans are looking forward to seeing most. The 7-foot forward redshirted last season but was a big part of the team’s progression. His battles against the first team in practice have shown the coaching staff he is capable of playing at an elite level.

The big man is a rim protector on the defensive end while having the ability to score the rock in the paint. It will be interesting to see how Dutcher utilizes him alongside JCJ in the frontcourt.

Hot take: Magoon Gwath will take the same step Jaedon LeDee did last year in 2025 pic.twitter.com/jd476zcvf1

— Aztec Tracker (@AztecTracker) May 4, 2024

Gwath has already turned heads within the program but may need to keep progressing to earn a starting role. There is a chance that Dutcher will start him alongside JCJ, however, that could cause a mismatch for SDSU on defense. Dutcher has rarely (if at all) switched to a zone unless it was on an inbound pass, so the thought of them potentially switching to a 3-2 zone is unlikely.

If he does start, that means McKinney III would likely come off the bench to be the primary ball handler. Either way, Gwath will play a lot of minutes.

Prediction: Gwath will come off the bench as the team’s sixth man.

Ryan Schwarz – guard – senior – Orinda, California

Schwarz is entering his senior season. His 2023-24 campaign did not go the way he had hoped, but did appear in seven games.

His role this year will be similar. As a non-scholarship player, he would need a lot to go his way in order to see regular minutes.

Prediction: Appears in a handful of games this season.

Cam Lawin – guard – sophomore – Chicago, Illinois

Lawin is also a non-scholarship player. He appeared in nine games last season and averaged 0.7 points in 21 total minutes. He scored six points against St. Katherine on December 19..

Lawin may be ahead of Schwarz on the depth chart but will not see any regular minutes unless needed. The frontcourt is filled with about 5-6 players in front of him.

Prediction: Appears in a handful of games this season.

Desai Lopez – guard – senior – Fremont, California

Lopez is the last of the non-scholarship players. He also saw his first collegiate points come against St. Katherine where he played just under five minutes.

Prediction: Appears in one or two games this season.

The Returners

Miles Byrd – guard – redshirt sophomore – Stockton, California

Byrd is a fan favorite for the Aztecs. He improved every single time he stepped out on the floor last season. The player Byrd was by the end of the season was much better than early on. A major reason why was because of confidence. His confidence seemed to grow each game as he was blocking shots, hitting three-pointers, and making winning plays.

energy is a contagious thing pic.twitter.com/kvYFdnSd48

— Miles Byrd (@_mbyrd21) November 21, 2023

Byrd should be a lock for the starting lineup. He came off the bench every game last year, but his ability to make electric plays on both sides of the court may force Dutcher’s hand into making him a starter. He had 31 assists, 27 steals, and 20 blocked shots last season.

Prediction: Byrd will start every game this season and will be one of the team’s top all-around players.

Reese Waters – guard – senior – Long Beach, California

Waters should also be a member of the starting five. He is the only returning senior who played regularly last season for the Aztecs. He started 23 games for the Aztecs early on in the season but moved to the bench in favor of Darrion Trammell later in the year.

The former USC Trojan averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds last year in his first season with SDSU. On the defensive end, he stole the ball 21 times and swatted eight shots. Waters is elite from the free throw line as one of the nation’s top shooters. He shot 90.3% last year, going 65-72 in total.

Prediction: Waters will start every game for the Aztecs. He has the most experience out of anyone on the roster.

Miles Heide – forward – sophomore – North Bend, Washington

Heide is coming off an impressive freshman season with the Aztecs. The big man appeared in all 37 games last season with one start due to a Jaedon LeDee injury. He averaged 1.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. That is a very small sample size, but Heide impressed in the little time he had. His role was to rebound and control the paint while LeDee needed rest. For the most part, Heide played his role very well.

Heide was the first freshman to appear in every game since Lamont Butler did so in 2020-21. He also scored a career-best six points at Air Force on February 6.

The sophomore’s role will be similar this year and should see more minutes than his freshman year. Heide may not start a game but will come off the bench and back up JCJ and Gwath. We could potentially see Heide and Compton paired together on the court in the second unit.

Prediction: Heide will play every game off the bench and will have around the 7th-9th most minutes on the team.

BJ Davis – guard – sophomore – Modesto, California

Davis appeared in 12 games as a freshman last season. He averaged 1.2 points in 67 total minutes. Entering his sophomore season, Davis has a chance to be the backup point guard, depending on how Dutcher utilizes the starting lineup. Assuming Byrd, McKinney, and Boyd all start, then Davis will be called upon for the second unit.

It may be a frustrating beginning of the season with a crowded backcourt. However, Davis has the ability to quickly develop in this system. Davis is a former 4-star recruit who was also the No. 18 point guard in the nation his senior year. There is nothing but bright lights ahead for the returning sophomore.

Prediction: Davis will come off the bench every game this season as either a point guard or a backup off-ball guard. He will see his minutes increase more as the season continues.

Demarshay Johnson Jr. – forward – junior – Oakland, California

Johnson appeared in 16 games for the Aztecs last season, all off the bench. He scored only three baskets all year long, as he didn’t earn the minutes he had hoped for.

Johnson is a high-flying big man who can certainly light up the arena with a dunk. His specialties are also shot blocking and rebounding. If Johnson can elevate his game and become one of the more dominant rebounders and shot blockers on the team, then he will see more minutes compared to last season.

Prediction: Johnson appears in almost every game as a role player.

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.