SDSU Basketball Rebuilds Roster Ahead of Pac-12 Debut
Coach Brian Dutcher retains only four players from last season as the Aztecs prepare for their first campaign in the nine-team Pac-12 conference.
By Emma Mehta ·
San Diego State men’s basketball enters the 2026-27 season with a completely new identity. The Aztecs finished last season 22-11, a record head coach Brian Dutcher described as disappointing. The program has since replaced most of its roster, retaining just four players while adding nine new faces. Dutcher, in his 10th year leading the team, acknowledged the steep learning curve during a press conference on Oct. 13. "We have four returning players and nine new guys," he said. "There’s a lot to learn."
The roster overhaul follows a string of departures that hollowed out the previous lineup. Guard Reese Dixon-Waters, who averaged 13.1 points last year, went undrafted and signed with the Denver Nuggets’ minor league affiliate on Oct. 23. BJ Davis transferred to Creighton, and Miles Byrd moved to Providence. Other players leaving the program include Pharoah Compton to Oregon, Taj DeGourville to Nebraska, Miles Heide to Virginia Tech, and seven-foot Magoon Gwath to DePaul.
Four players remained from the 2025-26 squad. Sophomore guard Elzie Harrington averaged 8 points and 2.3 assists last season. Forward Tae Simmons contributed 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. Center Thokbor Majak played limited minutes, averaging 0.3 points and 1.6 rebounds. Junior guard Latrell Davis, from Leeds, England, redshirted last year. Dutcher praised Davis as a dynamic offensive player who gets to the rim at will.
The offseason brought several high-profile additions. Jeremiah Cherry, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center from San Diego, joins as a fifth-year senior. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds for Sacramento State before a leg injury cut his season short. Chance Gladden, a sophomore transfer from Boston University, brings playmaking ability. He averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists last year, ranking No. 2 in the Patriot League in assists. Isaiah Sy, a senior guard-forward from Oregon State, also joined the squad. Nick Anderson, a fifth-year senior from Rice, suffered a torn ACL in May and is expected to miss most of the season. The team also added three international players: Croatian forward Luka Skoric, and Italians Luca Vincini and David Torresani.
The Aztecs are now part of the Pac-12, which competes in men’s basketball with only nine schools. Gonzaga and Utah State are the consensus media picks to finish first and second in the conference. San Diego State is predicted to land third. Gonzaga went 31-4 in its final West Coast Conference season. Utah State finished 29-7 in its first year in the Pac-12. The other conference members are Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, Texas State, and Washington State.
The new season begins Tuesday with a home game against Cal State Fullerton. The Aztecs will play 11 non-conference games before starting Pac-12 play on Jan. 6 at Oregon State. The regular season concludes on March 6 against Boise State. Dutcher expressed confidence in the team’s growth potential, noting that they generally improve as the season progresses. "I believe we’re going to be really good this year," he said. "We have to stay injury free; we have to continue to grow as a team."
The defensive unit is considered ready, while the offense requires more cohesion. Dutcher stated that playing together offensively will take a longer process. The team’s success will depend on managing the physical demands of the new roster and adapting to the Pac-12 schedule. The first test arrives Tuesday night in front of a home crowd.
Source: Times of San Diego
