Updated: May 1st
The Aztecs just completed the best post season performance in program history advancing to the National Championship game and earning millions of new eyes to the brand. An exciting time to be an Aztec no doubt.
All year the talk has been about the depth and physicality that this group brings. But less talked about is the experience that they possess. The make-up of this roster consists of four seniors and one junior to the starting five.
Overall, San Diego State’s nine-man rotation is seven seniors and two juniors. To say that they are heavy on experience would be an understatement.
Next year the Aztecs lose four, maybe five, players from the roster. That leaves Coach Brian Dutcher and staff a difficult task in replacing them.
With two freshmen coming in next season, BJ Davis and Miles Heide, that means the Aztecs have two to three scholarships available.
Based on the early reported interest, it appears the Aztecs are in search of at least one guard to replace Adam Seiko and Matt Bradley. In addition, a big man to replace Nathan Mensah will obviously be needed.
The Aztecs very successful March Madness run should make them a desirable landing spot for any player paying attention and the coaching staff will likely be able to be very picky with how best to fill their remaining scholarships.
Below is a list of players that have reportedly been contacted by the San Diego State coaching staff.
Jordan Riley
Guard – Georgetown
The first player that we saw reported that had gotten interest from the Aztecs staff was Georgetown guard Jordan Riley. He averaged 4.6 points per game.
In his two years at Georgetown, Riley played sparingly for the Hoyas. He averaged 16 minutes a game and shot 38.7% from the field (19.4% from beyond the arc). Georgetown was a dumpster fire this past season, but Hoyas fans seem pretty hopeful that new coach Ed Cooley can get him back on campus.
Riley is a native New Yorker, which makes me doubt he would transfer from the east to the west coast. But you never know when a Final Four contender wants you.
Nick Timberlake
Guard – Towson
The Aztecs reached out to a big time target in Towson guard Nick Timberlake. A 6-4 guard he shot 41.6% from beyond the arc and averaged 17.7 points per game.
Timberlake is a big guard who is destined for a high major program. He shot the ball at 45.5.% from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc. He has visited North Carolina and will be a hot commodity.
Jalen DeLoach
Forward – VCU
The Aztecs continue their search for a big and have reached out to an intriguing prospect in 6-9 big man Jalen DeLoach. DeLoach played his first two seasons at VCU, which is going through a coaching change, and averaged 9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
After watching film I believe that he would be an ideal fit on the Mesa. DeLoach rebounds the ball well and is a defensive presence in the paint. He is uber athletic and an aggressive finisher near the rim. Looking at him I see a prototypical Aztec big. He published a final six and the Aztecs were included along with Penn State, Miami, Indiana, Florida State, and VCU, however he re-opened his recruitment and the list is moot. Penn State is where his coach from VCU was hired, and Florida State and Miami are close to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. His first visit was to Indiana on April 14th.
Many schools have checked in so we will need to watch his recruitment. And again, the movement from an East Coast team to the West Coast will be something to watch.
Javonte Brown
Center – Texas A&M
Also per reports, we have interest in Texas A&M big man Javonte Brown. The 6-11 center appeared in seven games for the Aggies after transferring from UCONN. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game last season.
Brown is a big man who is a player that is still developing his skill set at his position. From the little film I have seen he is a menace around the basket on both ends, but still raw on aspects of the game such as the pick and roll and his defensive assignments. He is big and strong, with wide shoulders so there are some intangibles that make him an intriguing, high-upside prospect.
He would have to sit after transferring twice. This might be ideal for him to develop and adjust into an offense. Will be visiting San Diego State on April 24th.
Players committed to San Diego State:
Reese Dixon-Waters
Guard – USC
San Diego State hosted USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters this weekend for a visit. He was in attendance for the Aztecs basketball celebration. Dixon-Waters USC is the reigning PAC-12 sixth man of the year. The 6-5 guard averaged 9.8 PTS on 43.8% shooting from the field this past season for the Trojans.
Dixon-Waters was a solid contributor off the bench for the Trojans last season. He shot the ball extremely well from the mid-range, 48.4%, which would be good enough to place him in the top 11% of all shooting guards last year in college basketball. Also Dixon-Waters is a big guard who is a more than capable defender. His tough-nosed attitude towards defense would fit in with the Aztecs culture. COMMITTED TO SAN DIEGO STATE.
The transfer portal is fluid. Players move in and out quickly as they find a new home. As players are contacted by the staff we will add them above. When they select a home that is not San Diego State we will list them below to track them. Expect the Aztecs to be done with guards, therefore most above will commit elsewhere and our focus will be on the bigs.
Players with San Diego State interest that went elsewhere:
Warren Washington (C) – Arizona State => Texas Tech
Josiah Allick (F) – New Mexico => Nebraska
Bryant Selebangue (F) – Tulsa => Arizona State
Hunter Sallis (G) Gonzaga => Wake Forest
Christian Shumate (F): McNeese State => McNeese State
Graham Ike (F): Wyoming => Gonzaga
Mike Mitchell (G): Pepperdine => Minnesota
Dame Adelekun (F): Dartmouth => Loyola-Chicago
Keshon Gilbert (G): UNLV => Iowa State
Jalen Cone (G): Northern Arizona => Cal
AJ Storr (G): St. John’s => Wisconsin
Nick Timberlake (G): Towson => Kansas
7 Responses
Recruiting High School All Stars is most DESIRABLE! However, in this ERA, it is necessary to follow and recruit from those players that can make immediate and positive contributions to your TEAM! SDSU is rapidly becoming a D1 Program that atracks TOP CALIBRE TALENT from many sources, including International players!
Think bigger guys! I’d venture to say the Aztecs get a big 12 player and a pac 12 player / coach combo for 2023-24…
None of the guards here come close to matching Malachi
Flynn or Matt Bradley. You would think that after making it to the championship game we could do better, even though we don’t have a lot of NIL money.
Matt Bradley flopped in the clutch. We will be alright
SDSU Needs a full time scout team to recruit the best players, which come from Southern CA! It is a major failure to miss out on talent here, at home. The scouts need to be active in the ears of players, we should never lose a player to any Oregon or Washington school, or to Arizona or UNLV for that matter. Scouts need to point out weather, you will be suicidal if you go to Oregon or Washington for it rains 75% of the time. The women are ugly granola, and the campus’ are old and warn. Arizona and UNLV are Hot all the time and miserable. The worst trip I ever went on was a time share swap to Tucson, that city is Dirty, gross, hot and not remotely fun. If the players are updated on what they are missing out at SDSU, an ultra Modern B-Ball court, with top notch brand new training facilities, brand new student housing and brand new Library with on campus pubs, fun and more importantly the most beautiful girls in the world! SDSU is the most applied to University / School in the entire United States. Scouts need to empahsize what a huge bonus it would be for any player to get a shcolarship, and actively portray the bordering schools for what they are: UCLA, nobody even speaks English there, and the Univeristy is about as corrupt as they come, and take pride in training and Educating Chinese students who go on to become spies for the communist regime and use their skills against the USA.. UCLA might as well be bombed out of existence and they proudly train our enemies!. USC: I went their for one semester, ,what a shit hole. YOu have to be escorted by armed security just to go off campus for lunch. TH eare is South Central LA and is about as dangerous as it comes. Yes, it has tradition, but is built out with no room for exapansion and the dorms are old and gross. The place is just rotting away. Meanwhile SDSU just bought the entire Qualcomm stadium site and are building the Universities Northwest Extension there, complete with the new football stadium, new dorms, and housing / hotels for parents and mixed use units for restaurants, bars and other campus related amentities. SDSU Is the new model for how a University and college envrironment should be, and how it needs to expand to meet its increasing student body and fan base along with getting along with the community at large, SDSU is San Diego! Go Aztecs!
That’s a great promo. Do research on things that would appeal to them.
The Aztecs need NIL budget to be increased. Staff and coaches have done an incredible job in many areas with limited resources.
The roster has a strong 9 man rotation presently that allows minutes for the young players that are the future. The future perhaps is now.
DeMarshay Johnson Jr. has the physical tools as does Saunders. Byrd is a big guard that can score from anywhere on the floor,and has had a year in the program to become familiar with Aztec Defense.
As good as LaMont Buter was last year, he figures to be more confident and more polished as a complete player which may lead to his complete package leading to him being the Mountain West Player of the Year.
If the Aztecs add a player thru the portal great if not I am confident it will be a fun time at Viejas in the coming year.