Every year, young stars enter the transfer portal following their season (usually) in hopes of finding a better situation. Sometimes, those come in the form of potential superstars. San Diego State lost one of those stars today. After winning the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, freshman Magoon Gwath entered the transfer portal on Monday. Gwath was unrated in high school (zero stars) but blossomed in his second year with the Aztecs following a redshirt year. Gwath immediately enters the discussion as one of the most sought-after centers in the transfer portal because of his award-winning season and three years of eligibility remaining.
Mountain West DPOY Magoon Gwath Enters Transfer Portal
All the Tools of a Star
Gwath won Mountain West DPOY because of his ability to block and alter shots at the rim. On a loaded San Diego State defense, he was able to average 2.6 blocks per game. As is typical for shot blockers, his numbers aren’t indicative of his true value on the defensive end. Players actively avoided going into the paint to avoid being blocked by Gwath. He swatted everything that came near him. Being able to take away the easy buckets at the rim elevated San Diego State to 16th in defensive efficiency.
While Gwath’s value will mostly pertain to the defensive end, he has a rare combination of shot-blocking ability with three-point shooting. Gwath shot nearly 38% from three as a freshman. He only averaged 8.5 points per game, but he spent a lot of time trying to figure out his game. Gwath flashed glimpses of his potential with games of 25 and 24 points against Fresno State and San Jose State. He is a young player, so the consistency hasn’t been completely developed yet, but Gwath will be a very popular transfer.
Potential Fits
The list could go on for ages of teams that would love a player Like Gwath. He doesn’t have the same athleticism as Chauncey Wiggins, but he could garner similar intrigue. Duke loves that kind of size and defense from any of their players. But I will name another ACC blue blood: North Carolina. UNC lacked frontcourt depth this season, often dooming them in close losses. Gwath would provide the Tar Heels with much-needed size. He would become a defensive anchor for a unit that missed that presence down low this season. North Carolina got a good look at Gwath in the First Four, so they may have already reached out to the Mountain West DPOY.
Assuming he is looking to attend a larger school with championship aspirations, I think his style of play would be extremely beneficial to a team like Purdue. While they have had success this season, making the Sweet Sixteen, they struggle defensively. They have an elite center in Trey Kaufmen-Renn, but he plays exclusively under the basket. Gwath could play the four on offense but defend the opposing center and create a lot of mismatches for the Boilermakers’ opponents.
The Last Word
Gwath had flown under the radar on national media this season. However, his impact on the Aztecs was felt, as they lost three of six games while Gwath was out with an injury before the tournament. He is an impactful player on offense and defense even when he isn’t stuffing the stat sheet (or opponents). North Carolina and Purdue are potential options, but he truly could play in virtually any system with his size, defense, and shooting. He isn’t an Olympic athlete, but he has good mobility for his size. Coaches and GMs should be doing everything they can to land Magoon Gwath.
Photo credit: © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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