2022 Record: 32-7 (15-3)
Head Coach: Brian Dutcher (Career Record 151-47)
Projected Rotation:
PG: Darrion Trammell (9.8 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 2.9 Ast)
SG: Lamont Butler (8.8 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 3.2 Ast)
SF: Reese Waters (USC 9.8 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 1.1 Ast)
PF: Micah Parrish (7.4 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 0.6 Ast)
C: Jaedon Ledee (7.9 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 0.9 Ast)
6: PF Jay Pal (Campbell 12.3 Pts, 6.9 Reb, 1.4 Ast)
7: PG BJ Davis
8: SG Miles Byrd (4.3 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 1.5 Ast)
9: PF Elijah Saunders (0.9 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.5 Ast)
10: C Demarshay Johnson (0.9 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.1 Ast)
11: C Miles Heide
12: PF Magoon Gwath
13: PF Cade Alger (0.7 Pts, 0.2 Reb, 0.0 Ast)
San Diego State lost 3 starters from a team that made the national championship game, but they have players that are ready to step up and fill the void for the talent that was lost. Lamont Butler who hit the buzzer beater in the final four is one of the returners for the Aztecs. Butler started in every game last season and was one of the better shooters on the team. He’s also an elite passer and is a guy that keeps the team altogether. He will have an even more elevated role next season. Darrion Trammell is another player who brought the Aztecs a scoring spark last season. Trammell was a transfer from Seattle and he really showcased the type of player he could be at a higher level. He’s capable of shooting better than he did from beyond the arc and should also have a chance to elevate his game this season.
San Diego State also returns the duo of Micah Parrish and Jaedon Ledee. Both of them should have a much bigger role on this seasons team following the departure of players such as Nathan Mensah and Adam Seiko. Ledee was a very good player off the bench last season for the Aztecs. He’s going into his 5th season after averaging a career best 8PPG and 5RPG this past season. Ledee also played for TCU and Ohio State. At 6-9 and 240lbs he has the size necessary to have a very successful season next year in the Mountain West. Micah Parrish was another scoring spark for the Aztecs off the bench. The former Oakland star averaged 7PPG and 4RPG on 36% shooting from beyond the arc. He could play a decent amount at the 4 in small ball lineups. Also returning to the Aztecs this season is guard Miles Byrd. He only played in 4 games last season, but he is a former 4 star recruit who has a ton of potential this year.
San Diego State only brought in 2 transfers this offseason. Reese Waters is a 6-5 athletic guard who will immediately fill the void for some of the lost production. Waters will be an asset on both ends of the floor for the Aztecs. On the offensive side, Waters averaged 10PPG and 3RPG this past season in the Pac-12. He has the athleticism and upside to be one of the better players not only on his team but in the entire conference. The last transfer that the Aztecs brought in was Campbell transfer PF Jay Pal. He was tremendous on the defensive end this past season for the Camels. He fits the system at San Diego State perfectly from a defensive standpoint. He also had the best offensive season of his career with Campbell this past season as he struggled a bit to get it going during his Jacksonville State career.
The Aztecs also return players Demarshay Johnson, Elijah Saunders, and Cade Alger. All of which played sparingly in their careers so far but still have a chance to make an impact. Alger was a former walk-on who was just put on scholarship this season. Saunders and Johnson are former highly ranked recruits who have been developing this past year. San Diego State also added 3 freshman to the team this season. PG BJ Davis is ranked as the #129 recruit in the country according to 247sports. He’s a player that will have a chance to crack the rotation very early into the season. Center Miles Heide from Washington was ranked as the #226 player in the country. PF Magoon Gwath was unranked in the class.
It will be very tough for San Diego State to replicate what they did last season considering the production that they lost. With that said, the Aztecs will still be a very good team and should be the preseason favorite in the Mountain West by a majority of the media going into the season. They should easily make a return to the tournament, but getting as far as they did will be quite difficult to repeat. The Aztecs could find themselves ranked to start the season in the AP Poll and will be very successful yet again.