Mountain West voters pick 3 San Diego State basketball players for all-conference team

Miles Byrd, Magoon Gwath, Reese Dixon-Waters honored at Media Day

San Diego State and UCLA players during an exhibition game at Viejas Arena in San Diego. | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

It might as well have been San Diego State Day at the Mountain West basketball media day in Las Vegas.

The Aztecs were announced as the unanimous choice to win the league, Miles Byrd was named the MW Preseason Player of the Year and Elzie Harrington the MW Freshman of the Year, and the media voters rounded out the big haul of honors by placing Byrd, 7-footer Magoon Gwath and guard Reese Dixon-Waters on the 10-player All-MW Team. 

The Aztecs fully expect to prove the voters right. Expectations on Montezuma Mesa are high once again, in large part because of the decisions by Byrd and Gwath to withdraw from the NBA Draft process and return for another year, and Dixon-Waters’ return from a foot injury that sidelined him all of last season. 

Here’s a look at SDSU’s All-MW picks:

Who is Reese Dixon-Waters?

This selection was a nice surprise, considering that Dixon-Waters missed all of last season with a broken foot. But Dixon-Waters was already well-known around the MW after being named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection last year before getting hurt. Plus, he was the Mountain West Preseason Newcomer of the Year in 2023-24 after transferring from Southern California,  the 10th Aztec to earn that honor.

Dixon-Waters reintroduced himself to the hoops world by leading SDSU with 19 points in a 67-60 loss to preseason No. 12 UCLA in an exhibition game on Friday night. 

After transferring from USC, the Long Beach native opened the 2023-24 by attempting more free throws (43) without a miss than any player in the country. 

RDW lands on the @MountainWest Preseason All-Conference Team for the second straight season! #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/q7S1caWCfr

— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) October 23, 2025

He started 23 of 37 games and averaged 12 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 44% from the floor, 43% on 3-pointers and a team-high 93% from the free-throw line.

Two of Dixon-Waters’ performances from that season stand out. 

Against California in the SoCal Showcase in San Juan Capistrano, he went 6-of-11 from the field (54.5 percent), 2-of-3 from distance (.667) and was 10-of-10 from the line, with seven rebounds and two steals. His 24 points and seven rebounds were both career-highs at the time and he won the Most Valuable Player Award.

When SDSU beat No. 13 Gonzaga 84-74 to end the Bulldogs’ 59-game winning streak against non-conference opponents, Dixon-Waters was 8-of-11 from the floor (72.7%), 3-of-5 from beyond the arc (60%) and made 3-of-4 free throw attempts. He added two assists and two steals without a turnover.

Who is Magoon Gwath?

Gwath is the reigning MW Freshman of the Year and MW Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a MW All-Defensive Team pick and honorable-mention All-Mountain West. All that and he missed all but two minutes of the final five regular-season games and a loss to Boise State in the conference tournament quarterfinals, before returning for a loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four.. 

Gwath was the only player nationally who is at least 7 feet tall who blocked at least 68 shots and shot at least 37.8% from beyond the 3-point line. Despite missing the extended time late in the season, his 68 blocks were 18 more than the No. 2 shot blocker in the league. In conference games only, he blocked 12 more than his next closest competitor.

Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Magoon Gwath. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It took him only 26 games to shatter the program record for blocked shots, 51 by Skylar Spencer, in 34 games.

He averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds. 

Among league players he was No. 1 in blocks, No. 9 in offensive rebounds and No. 12 in rebounding. Nationally, he ranked No. 7 in blocks per game and No. 17 in total blocks.

Besides withdrawing from the NBA Draft, Gwath pulled out of the transfer portal because he felt comfortable at SDSU.

He is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late April and, according to coach Brian Dutcher, is two weeks away from being cleared for full practices.

Who is Miles Byrd?

Byrd also withdrew from the NBA Draft process to return for another season at Montezuma Mesa.

He had a breakout 2024-25 season that saw him being named second-team All-Mountain West as well as to the MW All-Defensive Team. He was also named second-team National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Pacific Division. 

Dec 21, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Miles Byrd. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Byrd helped lead the Aztecs to a 21-10 record last year, which ended with a loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four. The return of Byrd and Gwath has the Aztecs expecting a much deeper run in March Madness. 

Byrd made 30 starts and averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game. He shot 38.1 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.2 percent from the line with 82 assists, 32 blocks and 64 steals and was the only player in the nation to compile those stats.