Sean Newman Jr. joined The SDSU Podcast to discuss his journey to The Mesa, the strengths of his game, and more…

Yet again, there is an emerging star on Brian Dutcher’s San Diego State Aztecs 2025-26 squad. A major reason for the Aztecs’ high expectations heading into the season is because San Diego State was able to land Sean Newman Jr. in the transfer portal.

A point guard from Louisiana Tech, Newman Jr. joins a backcourt that is experienced alongside Miles Byrd, BJ Davis, Taj DeGourville, Reese Waters, and Elzie Harrington. These six players will play a significant number of minutes, and they have been working together since the start of summer to build chemistry with one another. The depth is jaw-dropping.

“I like all the guys … I’m close with all the guys,” Newman Jr. told East Village Times on The SDSU Podcast when asked who he has connected with the most since his arrival. “I would say me and Reese (Waters) have had some good conversations about things off the court like in our faith and things like that. I would say JO (Jeremiah Oden) as well.”

Newman Jr. is aware that the grind is going to take everyone to buy in and work towards a singular goal: winning a championship. “Everybody has to buy in and accept their role. We have guys that are capable of going off any given night, and it could be a different person every night.”

That could be the case many times this season. Miles Byrd is going to draw a ton of attention on the floor when the ball is in his hands as a three-level scorer. Magoon Gwath is capable of scoring 20+ points. Davis is also capable of scoring a large number of points, and Elzie Harrington is poised to become a rising star. Everywhere you look, there is an Aztec worthy of putting the ball in the hoop.

It’s not just scoring, rebounding, forcing turnovers, making free throws, and commitment to running in transition will be the keys to success for the Aztecs. Newman Jr. is capable of contributing in all areas of the game, and his history proves it.

Before committing to LA Tech, where he played the last two seasons, Newman Jr. took a route many are afraid to take. Athletes have pride that can be damaged if they go in a direction that isn’t Division I. The Los Angeles native played two years at Fullerton College, where he experienced success, winning a state championship in 2023 against San Francisco CC. He also won the conference MVP award, averaging 13.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Newman said. “Everybody goes on different journeys and different things like that. Truth be told, I wasn’t ready straight out of high school to come to DI. So, there was a lot of lessons I had to go through and experience I needed and I am here now for a reason.”

At LA Tech, his game continued to grow. He really started to define his role as a point guard on the offensive end. His scoring production decreased, but his passing and assisting increased. Newman Jr. was more of a score-first player in high school, but over time, that has changed.

“In high school, I wasn’t really a pass-first guard; I was scoring a lot, especially my senior year,” he said.

Now, making his teammates thrive is the top priority. Newman Jr. averaged 7.9 assists per game in 2024-25, which was third in the country. Last season, he had a 20-assist game against Rust College, with six other games added on top of that, in which he ended with 10+ assists.

“For me, I just like to get people better,” Newman Jr said. “This is what I’m gifted at, and it just comes naturally. You know, it isn’t really anything I think about it’s something that comes natural.”

This dime from Sean Newman Jr. to @daniel_batcho winds up being the difference-maker in a crucial road win for the Bulldogs❗️@LATechHoops | #NoLimitsOnUs pic.twitter.com/D2hPLSIsNE

— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) February 23, 2024

Newman Jr. can still score the rock at a high level. He scored 20+ points in four games last season, with a season high of 27 against Liberty, and had 16 total games scoring in double figures.

“I like getting to the mid-range area. I’m a guy who people are going to go under, so I have to be ready to shoot. Just be confident in all the work I put in.”

Sean Newman Jr. off the glass to give the Bulldogs their largest lead in overtime❗️

📺- ESPN2@LATechHoops | #NoLimitsOnUs pic.twitter.com/7tq2qQtJdn

— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) January 14, 2024

The Aztecs may have found themselves one of the best all-around point guards in the nation. His 1.1 steals per game last season can’t be ignored. In this SDSU defensive scheme, Newman Jr. will help his team earn extra possessions often.

You can catch the seniors’ first action in an SDSU jersey on October 17 when UCLA comes to Viejas Arena for an exhibition game.

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.