San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher was asked last month about the state of next season’s roster. He shrugged.
“You know, I really don’t know,” he said. “There’ll be familiar faces and there’ll be new faces.”
That is not just SDSU. That is everybody in college basketball in an era of transaction and transiency that has been compared to unlimited free agency without a salary cap.
The last few weeks of March were crazy, a flurry of behind-the-scenes discussions with current players and representatives of future ones. But it really got nutso late April 6, when the transfer portal officially opened and players could officially move.
Dutcher was able to retain most of his roster last season, ranking eighth among 365 Division I programs in minutes continuity at 55.8%. That won’t happen again, with the sour taste of an underachieving season and the temptation of seven-figure payouts likely resulting in something between a minor and major overhaul.
“I like where we’re at,” Dutcher said as he headed for the Final Four in Indianapolis. “We’ll see if it all comes together.”
The Aztecs lose three seniors and add one freshman, 6-foot-6 wing Zach White from Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks. Six players entered the transfer portal, four returned and four transfers committed, leaving four available slots for next season.
Here’s a real-time look at the ever-evolving 2026-27 roster. We’ll update it as commitments are finalized.
SDSU guard Reese Dixon-Waters holds up a framed jersey on Senior Night before the Aztecs’ game against UNLV on March 6. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Seniors
Reese Dixon-Waters (6-5 guard): The sixth-year senior is out of eligibility following a productive season in which he averaged a team-high 13.1 points and was named second team all-Mountain West.
Jeremiah Oden (6-8 forward): Another sixth-year senior out of eligibility who started 15 games at the 4 but never really clicked, averaging 4.6 points in 13 minutes and being the odd-man out when Dutcher trimmed the rotation late in the season.
Sean Newman Jr. (6-1 guard): He went from third in Division I in assists per game at 7.9 to 2.4 as a reserve off the bench when he stepped up a level from Louisiana Tech. Because he spent two years in junior college and only three in Division I, he could petition for another year of eligibility. If he does, it isn’t expected to be at SDSU.
SDSU forward Magoon Gwath in his final game at Viejas Arena, a win against UNLV on March 6. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Transferred out
Miles Byrd (6-6 guard): The fourth-year junior announced March 27 that “the next chapter of my journey” will be in the transfer portal, and two days after it opened he revealed the destination for his final year of eligibility: Providence College. The Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year was rated in the top 10 of several portal rankings, receiving what sources say is $2.6 million guaranteed plus north of $3 million with incentives. His other finalists were Kentucky, Louisville, Texas, Baylor, Cincinnati and Vanderbilt.
Pharaoh Compton (6-7 forward): Committed to Oregon. The long, athletic but undersized post started just once and averaged 13 minutes, struggling to stay out of foul trouble (he averaged 7.2 per 40 minutes), and his playing time was noticeably cut toward the end of the season. With Heide out with a broken finger for the Mountain West championship game, he still got only 9½ minutes. At Oregon, he’ll joined Boise State transfer Andrew Meadow.
BJ Davis (6-2 guard): Committed to Creighton of the Big East for his final year of eligibility. As a junior, he was SDSU’s second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game despite starting only seven times. His ability to create his own shot, particularly in big moments, no doubt was attractive to the Blue Jays. He had a career-high 30 points in his final game at Viejas Arena, then had a last-second basket to beat New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament.
Magoon Gwath (7-0 forward): Committed to DePaul of the Big East. He also entered the portal last year before withdrawing a week later and returning to the Aztecs. He was a bit of disappointment after a redshirt freshman season in which he was Mountain West freshman and defensive player of the year. He started roughly half the games, averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds, while dealing with persistent knee and hip issues. He’ll go from a program that has been to 13 NCAA Tournaments (and four Sweet 16s) in the last 20 years to one that has been to … zero.
Miles Heide (6-9 forward): Committed to Virginia Tech of the ACC. The Aztecs are hoping to upgrade the center position with both Heide and Compton departing. In an ideal world, that would be with a shooting and rebounding big. Heide started 31 games last season and had his moments, particularly on the offensive boards, but he wasn’t a consistent scorer and is a 42.4% career free-throw shooter.
Taj DeGourville (6-5 guard): A late addition to the portal five days after it first opened, he ultimately committed to the Big Ten’s Nebraska after also considering St. Mary’s. He started the opening five games at point, then was replaced by freshman Elzie Harrington and reduced to a reserve role mostly as an off-guard. He averaged 5.5 points and shot 37.1%, second lowest among rotation players.
SDSU forward Tae Simmons celebrates a win against New Mexico in the semifinal of the Mountain West tournament in Las Vegas on March 13. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Staying
Elzie Harrington (6-5 guard): He played only 23 games but it was enough to show glistening upside, shooting a team-high 43.6% on 3s and operating with a silky composure belying his experience. The question, like Gwath, is his health. A lower-leg injury plagued him over the back half of the season, and there may be surgery in his future. That may have deterred deep-pocketed suitors and helped the Aztecs keep him.
Tae Simmons (6-6 forward): He went from the third-choice power forward and possible redshirt candidate to a starter in the conference tournament and a pillar of the program going forward. He averaged only 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds, but he did it in just 14 minutes per game. Extrapolated over 40 minutes, that’s 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds (best among rotation players). He’s been open about staying. Expect him to have a big role next season.
Latrell Davis (6-3 guard): Dutcher has said “if we had him and played him this year, we’d be in the NCAA Tournament.” Instead, the San Jose State transfer redshirted, part of a pre-determined agreement if Byrd exited the NBA Draft last spring. But he was the best player in practice many days, and his ability to shoot the 3 and attack the rim makes him a valuable addition to the backcourt next season. Dutcher describes him as “a first-team all-conference type player.”
Thokbor Majak (7-1 forward): The South Sudanese shot swatter made great strides in his second year with the program but still has a way to go after getting a late start in basketball. Beloved by his coaches and teammates, it’s hard to imagine him going anywhere else.
Sacramento State forward Jeremiah Cherry (9) plays against UCLA in a Nov. 18 game at Pauley Pavilion. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Transferring in
Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry (6-11 forward): He is originally from San Diego County but took a circuitous route to SDSU, attending high school in Phoenix while his older brother, Taeshon, played at Arizona State and Grand Canyon, then spending two years at a JC in New Mexico, then a year at UNLV and last season at Sacramento State. He was averaging 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks through five games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the sixth. If healthy and fit, he brings a low-post offensive presence that the Aztecs lacked the last few seasons.
Nick Anderson (6-4 guard): Last season at Rice, he averaged 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 40% on a high volume of 3s (210 attempts). The previous season at Prairie View A&M, he averaged 18.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 12 games before a season-ending injury. He spent the first two years of his college career at Division III University of St. Thomas in his native Houston. He is a classic off-guard who can create his own shot and has high metrics, thanks to an accurate 3-point stroke and a low turnover rate.
Chance Gladden (6-4 guard): The point guard from Raleigh, N.C., averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists for Boston University as a true freshman and was named to both the Patriot League’s all-conference and all-rookie teams. He twice had double-doubles in points and assists, and nearly recorded a triple-double. He’s best known for his buzzer-beater against Navy in the Patriot League tournament semifinals, dribbling across midcourt, going behind his back and launching a 3 for a 73-72 win after the Midshipmen had gone ahead with 3.6 seconds left.
Luka Skoric (6-9 forward): The 23-year-old pro from Croatia’s KK Cibona averages 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in a bench role for a veteran roster filled with starters in their 30s. Skoric was courted by Kansas, Pitt and West Virginia last year but opted to stay in Europe. He projects as a 3 or a stretch 4 with the ability to shoot the 3 and attack the basket off the dribble. He’s the first Croatian-born Aztecs player since Karlo Kovacic in the early 2000s.
David Torresani (6-2 guard): The speedy combo guard plays for Nutribullet Treviso, a storied club in Italy’s top division where a former teammate was Aztecs alum Deshawn Stephens. Just 22, he averages 7.0 points in 18 minutes on a veteran team where all five starters are in their 30s. Torresani (he pronounces his first name Dah-veed) started and led Italy to the under-20 European Championships last summer, averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 assists. Said Dutcher: “I think he’s a really good get for us.”
Luca Vincini (6-9 forward): SDSU had him secured for several weeks but waited until his Italian season ended to make the announcement. He is 22 and in his sixth year as a pro, the last two with Dinamo Sassari (from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia) in Italy’s top division. He also has represented Italy on multiple youth national teams and received a call-up to the senior team last fall for games against Iceland and Lithuania. Like SDSU’s other Euro imports, he came off the bench on a high-level team with a veteran roster.
Incoming freshman
Zach White (6-6 wing): The incoming freshman committed in September out of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks. His father is Russell White, an all-American running back at Cal and currently a high school football coach. White is a three-star prospect from one of Southern California’s top programs (teammates have gone on to play at Duke, Gonzaga and Houston), averaging 14.1 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3 and 80% from the line. He fits the SDSU profile of a long, athletic, versatile player with big upside.