San Diego State’s 7-footer will miss summer practices

Magoon Gwath had knee surgery in late April, is expected to be ready for the season

San Diego State Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

After an eventful several months away from the court, the San Diego State Aztecs have opened their summer workouts, where the loaded roster that includes eight returning players and three transfers is beginning to jell.

In the one bit of expected news, 7-footer Magoon Gwath is not practicing as he continues to rehab after having surgery on his right knee in late April, according to Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Gwath hyperextended the knee early in a loss at Utah State on Feb. 22. He missed five games, including the Mountain West tournament quarterfinal loss to Boise State, and returned for the First Four loss to North Carolina. 

Despite missing those games, Gwath was named the Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and honorable mention all-conference.

Gwath entered the transfer portal and then withdrew, and in late April announced he was also withdrawing from the NBA Draft to return to SDSU.

San Diego State Aztecs forward Magoon Gwath. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Coach Brian Dutcher confirmed to the Union-Tribune then that Gwath had arthroscopic surgery and was expected to be ready for the season. 

Guard Miles Byrd also withdrew from the NBA Draft and guard Reese Waters will return after missing last season with a broken foot. 

As usual, expectations are high on Montezuma Mesa.

“We want high expectations, we’ve always had high expectations,” coach Brian Dutcher told the U-T. “You can’t basically be an NCAA Tournament team seven of the last eight years and not have high expectations. That’s what the expectations are.

“Now we have to see what reality is. I tell people, ‘We look good on paper, but we don’t play on paper. We play on the court.’ The work between now and the start of the season will dictate what we look like on the court.”

The full schedule hasn’t been released, but the Aztecs know of three marquee matchups. They will face Michigan and Oregon in their first two games in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas on Nov. 24 and 25, and will play Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 20.