What 7-footer Magoon Gwath said at San Diego State basketball media day

Magoon Gwath delivered two bits of good news to San Diego State basketball fans last spring, first that he was withdrawing from the transfer portal and then that he was withdrawing from the NBA Draft process to return for another season with the Aztecs.

The news that the 7-foot sophomore needed arthroscopic knee surgery didn’t diminish fans’ expectations for the Aztecs, which once again are as high as the cloudless San Diego sky.

Gwath had surgery in late April and hopes to be ready for the start of the regular season against Long Beach State at Viejas Arena on Nov. 4.

He definitely won’t play in Friday night’s exhibition game against No. 12 UCLA at Viejas Arena. UCLA and SDSU have often played closed-door scrimmages, but thanks to an NCAA rule change, teams are now allowed to play in front of paying fans. In this case, proceeds will benefit NIL efforts at both schools.

Nov 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Magoon Gwath (0) blocks a shot attempt by Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad (3) during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

A knee injury suffered at Utah State sidelined Gwath for the final four regular-season games and a loss to Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

He returned for the First Four loss to North Carolina.

Despite missing those five games, Gwath was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-Mountain West and Mountain West All-Defensive Team.

He’ll have a better idea of when he can return to the court after seeing a doctor on Thursday.

“I can’t wait. I’ve been sitting out for a long time, just patiently waiting,” Gwath said at media day.

Here are the highlights of an interview with Gwath at media day:

Gwath on what could make this Aztecs team special

“We have a ton of talent and depth. I feel we have a lot more pieces this year that we didn’t have last year. And everybody from top to bottom will probably contribute.”

Gwath on expectations of the fans and the team

“Obviously the fans have high expectations of us, but all of us, from players down to coaches, we have high expectations of ourselves as well. It’s just the winning culture here, how competitive we are. Everybody just wants to win.”

Gwath on being a part of one of the West Coast’s top programs

“I love it. From coaches to guys, we have a really good brotherhood here, a good culture.”

Gwath on his decision to come back for another year

“My sister wanted me to enter the portal and look at my options. I felt San Diego State was still my best option. I withdrew from the NBA Draft to get healthy, fine-tune parts of my game and improve all the areas I’ve gotten feedback on.”

Gwath on his motivation

“I want to have a better season as a team but also individually. I felt I struggled a little more early on but I found more success later on. I just want to pick up where I left off.”

Gwath on life as a 7-footer

“It’s great, man. Length. Sometimes I might be out of position but length covers a lot of mistakes.”

The feeling after blocking a shot

“It feels great, especially after the crowd gets hyped, it’s a great feeling.”

The Texas-born Gwath on his South Sudanese heritage

““I love it. The culture that we come from, I’m around it a lot, I grew up around it. Even though I’m not in South Sudan, I still feel rooted from there.”

Gwath on why he came to SDSU

“It’s one of the best cities in America and I’m playing for one of the best programs.”

Gwath on why coach Brian Dutcher has been so successful

“Just the culture he’s built, the regimen he has, and also the people he recruits. He recruits really good people so everybody has good morals around here.”

Guard Miles Byrd on what Gwath brings to the Aztecs

“He brings a lot of versatility. He’s a dynamic player, as Dutch would say. You can’t teach a lot of the stuff that he can do on the court, especially at his size. You either have it in you or you don’t have it in you, and he has it in him. I think he’s a professional after this year. Got to get him healthy, obviously, but he’s making his way back and I’m excited for what he’s going to bring to this team this year.”

Byrd on watching Gwath block shots

“I almost talk trash more than he does, just because I’ve experienced it and watched it happen so many times. I can kind of tell when somebody’s about to go get their shot blocked. If you watch some clips of his blocks last year, I’m talking trash to the dude before he even goes up and shoots the layup, like ‘Hold on, don’t do that, that’s stupid.’ It never gets old.”