Magoon Gwath transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for Mountain West DPOY ft. UNC

The transfer portal is open, and San Diego State is losing one of its key starters. Magoon Gwath is entering the portal after a dominant freshman season in which he was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

Gwath was unrated in high school but thrived this year after beginning his college career with a redshirt season. The forward made 26 starts for SDSU this season, averaging 25.0 minutes on the court. He led the Aztecs in rebounds, with 5.2 per game, and blocks, with 2.6. Gwath added 8.5 points and shot 50.6%.

The young star is likely looking to head to a Power Four program where he can develop his skill set and perform on a bigger stage. Let's take a look at some possible fits for Gwath.

Top 5 landing spots for Magoon Gwath

#1, North Carolina Tar Heels

What a full circle moment this would be. Gwath's Aztecs lost to the Tar Heels in a First Four game this season. Now, the forward could find his new home at North Carolina.

UNC, who fell to Ole Miss in the Round of 64, was a small team this season. Gwath could help with this, as the freshman stands at 7 feet. The Tar Heels also struggled with frontcourt depth and defense this year. Gwath, who put up 3.4 defensive rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 0.4 steals, could be a valuable pickup for North Carolina.

UNC coach Hubert Davis got to get a good look at Gwath in the First Four matchup, and the young forward could be a good fit at the blue blood.

#2, Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue already has a star forward in Trey Kaufman-Renn, who is averaging 20.3 ppg and 6.5 rpg this season. However, Kaufman-Renn isn't a significant defensive contributor, and the Boilermakers struggle defensively.

Gwath could play power forward while Kaufman-Renn plays center. This would create defensive depth for the Boilermakers, something they need to remain competitive.

This season, the Boilermakers are a No. 4 seed in March Madness and are in the Sweet 16. Last season, Purdue was the NCAA Tournament runner-up. As the team looks ahead to next season, it needs to secure a solid defensive player who can contribute for a few seasons. Gwath could be Purdue's guy.

#3., Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame star forward Tae Davis announced that he will be entering the transfer portal. Davis put up 15.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg this season, and his absence leaves a big gap in Notre Dame's roster.

The Fighting Irish have struggled as of late. They went 15-18 this season and haven't made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022. Notre Dame needs a solid forward who can take Davis' place as the team tries to become a postseason contender.

Gwath's 8.5 ppg are nowhere near Davis' 15.1, but the two have nearly identical rebound values. The Aztecs star could also provide defensive depth that Davis lacks. It's important to note that Gwath is just coming off his freshman season and could reach Davis' level of scoring. Just last season, Davis was averaging only 9.2 pg.

#4, Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas is another blue blood that could become Gwath's new home. The Jayhawks will be rebuilding this offseason after losing several top stars, including KJ Adams Jr.

Adams has served as the star forward for Kansas the past four seasons. He contributed 9.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg, similar stat values to Gwath. Adams is a slightly better shooter than Gwath, but the San Diego State star could provide Kansas with 3-point shooting and solid blocking, two things Adams lacks.

#5, Clemson Tigers

Clemson is another team that will be without its star forward next season. Ian Schieffelin is out of eligibility, and the Tigers might head to the transfer portal to find his replacement,

Schieffelin is an expert rebounder, averaging an NCAA 18th best 9.4 per game. Gwath is an admirable rebounder, putting up 5.2, but if Clemson is looking for a forward who can be a game-changer through rebounding, this might not be a perfect fit.

However, Gwath shoots better than Schieffelin from the field and from 3-point range and has the potential to reach a similar scoring average to the Clemson star's 12.4 points per game.