Brian Dutcher has done it again.

SDSU landed hometown product Wayne McKinney III from the University of San Diego. McKinney became the third transfer and second guard Dutcher, and his staff brought in from the portal.

The Coronado native averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for the Toreros last season. McKinney has been a regular starter for the Toreros in his three years but emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer this past year behind Deuce Turner (15.5). Both McKinney and Turner earned second-team All-WCC honors last season.

This is a sneaky-good pickup for the Aztecs. They get a guard who can score at a high level while playing physical defense on the other side of the court. He even has a clutch gene.

Wayne McKinney III sinks the game-winner for San Diego as the Toreros down Pepperdine 57-52 in the 2nd round of the WCC Tournament. pic.twitter.com/YiUiANnN8b

— Made For March (@madeformarch) March 9, 2024

The Toreros advanced to the second round of the WCC Tournament this past season, thanks to that shot from McKinney. After losing Lamont Butler to Kentucky in the portal, the Aztecs will need someone who can hit clutch shots and close games. McKinney hit a game winner in Malibu against Pepperdine earlier in the season as well.

Wayne McKinney III (@WayneMckinney23)
Hits the step-back jumper from the free throw line for the last second winner and San Diego (+7.5) upsets Pepperdine 69-67 in Malibu pic.twitter.com/KDlsfgINT7

— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) January 28, 2024

Safe to say Pepperdine is glad McKinney is leaving the WCC.

What To Expect

The Aztecs’ backcourt is now loaded with talent. After landing McKinney and Nick Boyd, plus Miles Byrd and Reese Waters, there is a lot to look forward to. Not to mention, BJ Davis is knocking on the door. Dutcher has a young core to work with, and creating a fast and physical team can result in tons of points in transition. The staff would love nothing more than to see the team play physical on defense resulting in easy shots on the other end.

Wayne McKinney III is built different.#GoToreros pic.twitter.com/czauXkEUyQ

— San Diego Men’s Basketball (@usdmbb) January 30, 2022

McKinney is the only one to average north of one steal per game at 1.3. Boyd was right behind at 0.9, followed by Byrd at 0.8 and Waters at 0.6 per game.

The San Diego product started this past season off hot, scoring 16 or more points in the first three games. There were only five occurrences where he didn’t score in double figures all year. He scored north of 20 points in three straight games in mid-to-late December and notched a season-high 31 points against Pacific on Feb. 10.

McKinney is a player who will play high minutes right away and should make a big impact for Dutcher throughout the season.

This roster will look a bit different compared to last season. Even so, the Aztecs are primed to make some noise with a young squad ready to make a name for themselves.

Fun fact: McKinney grew up playing for Team Keenan Allen during his AAU days.

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.