San Diego State guard named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year

Miles Byrd earns honor after returning to SDSU for another season

San Diego State Aztecs forward Pharaoh Compton (5). | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

Guard Miles Byrd of the San Diego State Aztecs won one of the big Mountain West individual honors, just not the one he was tabbed for at the beginning of the season.

Byrd was named the MW’s Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, the fifth straight SDSU player to win the award and the ninth overall. The honor includes inclusion on the All-Defensive Team and Byrd was also named third-team all-league. 

Back in late October, Byrd was named the MW Preseason Player of the Year. The Aztecs were also the unanimous choice to win the regular-season title. 

Neither came to fruition, and the second-seeded Aztecs(20-10, 14-6 MW) will be fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives when they open play in the MW tournament on Thursday night against the winner of the No. 10 Fresno State vs. No. 7 Colorado State first-round game on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. PT and the game will air on CBS Sports Network.

Who is Miles Byrd?

Byrd is a 6-foot-6 wing who is a junior in eligibility and a senior academically. He withdrew from the NBA Draft last spring for another shot at the NCAA Tournament with the Aztecs after they were ousted from the First Four by North Carolina. 

Although the Aztecs struggled to keep up with expectations, Byrd did his part, particularly on the defensive end, which has always been a hallmark under coach Steve Fisher and then Brian Dutcher.

Byrd leads the Aztecs with 36 blocked shots, 57 steals and 119 defensive rebounds. 

He is second among the Aztecs with 81 assists, 134 rebounds, 42 3-point field goals, 126 3-point attempts, 105 field goals, 257 field goal attempts and 830 minutes. 

In four seasons overall, Byrd is the only Aztec, since at least the 1996-97 season, to have the combined statistics of 840 points, 354 rebounds, 200 assists and 88 blocks.

Other honors

Guard Reese Dixon-Waters was a second-team selection and guard BJ Davis was an honorable mention. 

Dixon-Waters returned after missing last season with a foot injury and was rewarded with his first Mountain West postseason award. The senior leads the Aztecs with 382 points, 13.2 points per game, 49 3-point field goals, 136 3-point attempts, 127 field goals, 298 field goal attempts and 856 minutes. 

Davis came up big for the Aztecs several times off the bench and, for a time, was the team’s leading scorer. The junior is second on the team with 326 points and third with 660 minutes. He was the leader of the No. 2- ranked scoring bench in the nation. He leads the Aztecs with 82 free throws and 94 free throw attempts.

Other big awards

Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun was named the MW Steve Fisher Coach of the Year. Aggie junior guard Mason Falslev was selected as the Player of the Year, UNLV junior guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn was the Newcomer of the Year, Utah State junior forward Karson Templin was the Sixth Man of the Year and New Mexico’s Jake Hall was named Freshman of the Year.