San Diego State’s Freshman of the Year—Magoon Gwath to enter transfer portal

Do you know what it feels like to get kicked in the balls?

Unyielding pain and discomfort that knocks you down to your knees. The experience is torture and after the initial hit, it just keeps coming in waves of agony.

It’s embarrassing—the countenance and audible squealing through the process of it all. But somehow, oddly enough, watching someone else get kicked in the gonads is maybe one of the most funniest things to watch.

In the cult classic hit motion picture Idiocracy, a tv show will entertain our future generations by the name of Ow! My Balls! where you guessed it, the entire show is based around the protagonist unsuspectingly getting slammed in the balls.

This is what being a part of Aztec Nation feels like right about now.

Monday afternoon Mountain West freshman and defensive player of the year, Magoon Gwath made it known he is entering the transfer portal.

The 7-foot redshirt freshman from Euless, Texas averaged 8.5 points per game this year—as well as grabbing 5.2 rebounds, shooting 50% in field goals and knocking down 37% from three point distance. As the season progressed so did his offensive ability.

It was on the defensive end where Gwath truly made his presence known the most however. His 2.6 blocks per game allowed him to break SDSU’s freshman season block record of 68, once set by Skylar Spencer (51).

The NCAA transfer portal opened on Monday, March 24. Extra COVID years of eligibility given to players ended with the 2024-25 season, so this should’ve naturally lowered the amount of transfers in the portal.

But don’t tell that to the reportedly over 500 players who have entered before end of day. The window closes 15 days sooner than it did in 2024—lasting just 30 days and ending on April 22.

So what does this tell us?

Well for starters the rest of the nation SDSU is not exempt from the situation of players leaving. To get kicked in the balls is to use the plural. Last off season the shot felt first all around was Lamont Butler taking flight to Kentucky.

Following was Micah Parrish and Elijah Saunders a bit late to the process. To avoid the chaos that ensued with last season’s departures, it appears players are knowing and informing their coaches earlier of their future plans.

Reese Waters having been granted a medical redshirt after missing the entire 2024-2025 season had made his plans known to return.

Miles Byrd who received national attention from scouts, had announced mid-season that he was either entering the professional ranks or returning back to SDSU. In other words no to the portal for him.

Last weekend Nick Boyd was the first to break ranks among those who verbally committed to running it back in 2025. As unfortunately surprising as Boyd’s decision to transfer was the silver lining was that he made it known before the window opened, giving Coach Dutcher & staff a head start in planning.

Magoon’s situation shook out a little different. A hyperextended knee injury suffered on February 22nd against Utah State put a damper on both he and the Aztecs team momentum. The setback happened at the most inopportune time for the rising freshman’s body of work.

Though Gwath’s physical advantages of being a 7 footer with incredible rim protecting presence and his deep shooting ability always made him an obvious target of transfer suspicion, the injury perhaps sped up any kind of thought of making it official.

The injury looked much more sever than later revealed as Magoon was able to return in SDSU’s lone tournament matchup against North Carolina. In the loss Gwath finished with 9 points in 24 minutes of action—the most he’d logged in almost a month.

With such little time in the red & black it’s a tough blow to a prideful SDSU tradition that covets it’s stars. Magoon will certainly excel elsewhere. That much physical ability and skill that will only grow is as close to a sure thing as ever. But how soon is yet to be seen.

According to sources, unconfirmed offers from Texas Tech have been made upwards towards the 1 million dollar range for Magoon’s services next season.

Do with that info what you like.

So what does this mean for our Aztecs?

Well, the next 30 days will tell whether more players are set to follow suit. Without Magoon and Boyd, a large chunk of playing time is available to the depth SDSU staff had prized over this past season.

Notable freshman Taj DeGourville and Pharoah Compton certainly will reap a large part of this. BJ Davis should have the point guard spot to contend over anyone coming in from the portal. And Miles Heide entering his Junior season will be called upon to take his physical play up to the next level.

A lot of eyes will be shifted to fellow 7 footer Thokbor Majak. Comparisons will be made, but Majak’s game while holding a lot of dual threat potential, will need to establish himself independently from Gwath’s shadow. From what I’ve seen at Swish League this past summer, Aztec Nation should be pleased.

But let’s face it, Dutch & co. will have to go via the portal to fortify the rebounding and paint protection that will be lost. The NCAA is a gutless entity with no institutional control of their transfer criteria and it doesn’t look to change any time soon.

Despite their shortcomings and as painful as this moment feels for SDSU fans, it’s important to know that this feeling is exactly the same to those smaller schools that the Aztecs may poach to replace him.

And well, the system sets us up to get kicked in the nuts and also do a little kicking of our own again. The circle of college basketball life continues. Move along.