5 potential landing spots for Magoon Gwath out of the transfer portal

After two seasons at San Diego State, 7'0 forward Magoon Gwath has entered the NCAA transfer portal ahead of his junior season.

Gwath actually entered the portal after his freshman year - when he averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and a Mountain West-leading 2.6 blocks - but opted to return to SDSU for another campaign.

Injuries limited the big man to 25 games and 16 starts this past year, but in 19 MPG, Gwath still managed to average 8.9 points with 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Additionally, he shot an outstanding 43.5% from the three-point line, drilling 20-46 attempts to raise his career rate to 40.7%.

A big man who can block shots and hit threes is exceedingly rare - and highly coveted - so it's no surprise Gwath is looking at a hefty payday entering his junior season.

Below is a look at five programs that make sense for Gwath to consider in 2026-27, including a handful of true blue bloods:

1. Kansas Jayhawks

Despite Bill Self announcing his plan to return to Kansas for 2026-27, the Jayhawks have been hit hard by the transfer portal. Flory Bidunga is widely considered the best player currently in the portal, and losing him, forward Bryson Tiller, and center Paul Mbiya means Self has a ton of holes to fill in his frontcourt.

Gwath would be an awesome get for the Jayhawks, as he could come in and be utilized on both ends of the floor as a rim runner, floor spacer, and rim protector. It would give him a chance to play for a Blue Blood and to prove he can scale up by competing in the Big 12, the best conference in college hoops.

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga and San Diego State seem ripe to be the first big rivalry in the new look Pac-12, and one way for that to start with a bang is if Gwath heads to Spokane to play for coach Mark Few.

The Zags lost All-American Graham Ike, and Gwath could step in alongside Braden Huff to form a dynamic frontcourt duo. Huff is a low-post scorer with a soft touch around the rim, while Gwath could space the floor and protect the rim on defense - a set of skills that pair nearly perfectly with Huff for Gonzaga.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Nate Oats lost two key big men from last season, Aiden Sherrell and Taylor Bol Bowen, who each entered the transfer portal. The Tide will look for a big man who can shore up their defense on the interior and who can space the floor - since that is the hallmark of Oats' offensive attack at 'Bama.

Gwath is a perfect fit for that system, which would allow him to showcase his outside shot in a free-flowing offense and help him prove he is tough enough to play in the NBA by squaring off against SEC bigs all season long.

4. Kentucky Wildcats

Mark Pope has seemingly gone away from recruiting the types of players that fit his system best - floor spacing bigs being chief among them.

With 7'0 big man Malachi Moreno set to return to Lexington, a pairing with Gwath makes a ton of sense for this Kentucky offense and would allow Pope to return to his roots offensively, which could cool down his hot seat after just two years with the 'Cats.

The Jayden Quaintance saga in Lexington may scare fans away from adding an injury-prone big, but Gwath fits the system perfectly and is a gamble well worth taking for Pope.

5. UCLA Bruins

Gwath finished his high school career at Veritas Prep just 30 miles away from UCLA's campus, perhaps a move back to the LA area is in the cards for the 7'0 big man?

Mick Cronin will lose star forward Tyler Bilodeau and backup center Steven Jamerson to graduation, and a player like Gwath could come in and immediately make a big impact for this program. The Bruins run a similar pace to San Diego State, and Gwath's familiarity with that style and floor spacing ability would serve UCLA quite well, while putting him on a bigger stage in the Big Ten.