As his teammates continued preparations for Tuesday night’s visit by first-place New Mexico to Viejas Arena, Magoon Gwath watched them from a padded trainer’s table in the corner while performing various exercises with his injured right knee.
He was paying close attention, watching the scout intently, cheering the 3-pointers, nearly falling off the table when Pharaoh Compton flew down the lane and threw down a ferocious two-handed dunk over 7-foot Thokbor Majak, looking very much like a guy who plans on playing again this season.
And here’s the good news for San Diego State: He very well might.
“Hyperextended knee, sprain, week to week, no surgery required,” coach Brian Dutcher summarized the results of an MRI scan and appointment with the team’s orthopedist Monday morning.
“There’s some swelling in there but it’s less than a day ago. You never know how long the rehab will take. … But I was just happy to hear that surgery is not required. That’s the main thing.”
The similarities with former Aztecs guard Matt Mitchell four years ago are striking. Both had their right knee buckle in the first half against Utah State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Both were helped off the floor, unable to put pressure on the leg. Both feared the worst — torn ligaments, season-ending surgery.
Both were granted a reprieve after an MRI.
The difference: Mitchell injured his knee on Jan. 14, returned to the floor 10 days later and played the final 14 games of the season. Gwath’s injury happened on Feb. 22, with only four games left in the regular season.
The 7-foot redshirt freshman will miss the game against New Mexico, and Dutcher conceded it’s “probably tough” to expect him back for Saturday at Wyoming. Ten days would be March 4 at UNLV; two weeks would be March 8 at home against Nevada in the regular-season finale.
The conference tournament begins March 12. The NCAA Tournament begins March 18.
“These guys do miracles, the rehab they do, the treatment that’s available now,” Dutcher said. “So I don’t want to close the door on him being back in 10 days. But I’ll never play anybody who’s not ready to go. I err on the side of making sure they are 100% healthy before I put them out there, and I’ll do the same with Magoon. I have his best interests at heart.
“Even though I want to win games, and he’s vitally important to us winning games, I want to make sure he’s healthy because he’s got a future to think about beyond college and I think he’s on that path right now. So maybe that means the conference tournament might be the earliest. Or maybe the NCAA Tournament, if we can make it.”
That depends on what happens in the next four games. The Aztecs (18-7, 11-5) are either solidly in the 68-team field or barely hanging on, depending on which projected bracket you consult.
Field of 68 currently has them as a No. 9 seed. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has them as a 10. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them as an 11 and headed to Dayton, Ohio, for a First Four play-in game as one of the last teams in.
Win all four of their remaining regular-season games, and the Aztecs are almost certainly in. Win three, and they could still squeak in. Win two, and they might need to claim the Mountain West tournament title in Las Vegas to guarantee a spot.
“All these games are important,” Dutcher said. “We have to find a way to play our best basketball given the situation we’re in. The kids practice hard. They haven’t given in an ounce. They compete at a high level, and they want to win. I have to get the most out of this team down the stretch.”
And that requires playing without arguably their best player over the past month. To that end, the Aztecs spent the last two days teaching 6-foot-7 Miles Byrd and 6-6 Taj DeGourville more set plays at the power forward position to allow Dutcher to go small with four guards and a post.
“We’ve played a small lineup this year in games,” said Dutcher, who used it after Gwath went down Saturday at Utah State. “It’s not something we haven’t done. We just want to make sure we can run more of our playbook with a small lineup. We’ve worked on that the last few days, having the whole playbook available with a smaller lineup. I think we made progress.”
More than any tactical tweaks, though, the Aztecs need more from Byrd, their leading scorer who has gone quiet in recent weeks while battling a series of minor injuries.
The hip issue that has bothered him over the last years has flared up again. He’s also battling a badly sprained and swollen right thumb, trying different combinations of pads and tape wraps – none of which has worked. Against Utah State, he peeled off the tape mid-game and tried that … and shot 2 of 12.
“No excuses,” Byrd said. “If you’re out there, you’re good enough to play and I need to be better. It’s as simple as that.”
Last nine games: 9.4 points, 31.4% shooting overall, 18.4% from 3 (9 of 49).
Previous nine: 16.3 points, 42.2% shooting overall, 42.4% from 3.
“You go from a guy who was maybe eighth on their scout last year to a guy who might be first or second in the scout,” Byrd said. “With that comes responsibility. I’m obviously frustrated with how I’ve been playing, but it’s not something I’m throwing a fit over. I think it’s going to come. I’ve put in a lot of work to be where I’m at, and how teams are playing me is a sign of respect.
“Teams know if I play well, we have a really good chance to win games. I’ve just got to find a way to beat their scout and beat my mind. … Without Goon, even more pressure is added. Everyone has to step up and be their best selves.”
