When one thinks of SDSU sports, basketball has become the undisputed headline. With a national title run two years ago and a sweet 16 appearance last season, the expectations have been set high, to say the least. Senior guard Reese Waters, sophomore guard Miles Byrd, and junior Demarshay Johnson Jr. are returning for another year in the Mesa and are eager to show the nation that Aztec basketball isn’t missing a beat.
The first of the three is senior two-way guard Reese Waters. Waters is in his second year repping the Scarlet and Black, transferring to SDSU from the University of Southern California last season.
During his last season with SDSU, Waters averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, starting in 23 of the 37 games for the Aztecs. The six foot six inch guard set his career-high last season with 24 points against the University of California, Berkeley.
With the early production of Waters, the upcoming season set high expectations and an expanded role. During media day, Waters spoke on what his offseason consisted of as he looked to grow his game.
“I worked on just getting more lift on my shot. Kind of just being ready to shoot over people,” Waters said. “I don’t really like being off the dribble, I just get to my spots, be more strategic when I have the ball, less dribbles.”
Waters headlines the biggest news surrounding the program to start the 2024-2025 campaign, as he is expected to be sidelined for the first six to eight weeks of the season with a foot injury.
Despite the tough break, Waters expressed confidence in his teammates.
“I’m very confident in them because I see it every day, they all play with a chip on their shoulder,” Waters said. “They’re willing to do anything to win. And I think their greediness is definitely what’s gonna help us win.”
In a reflection on the rehab process set ahead, Waters described his early thoughts dealing with the first long-term injury of his career.
“I’m in a good space to where I’m finding the joy in being a fan,” Waters said. “For the first time in a while I’m just watching, and rehabbing, of course, but really watching practice and enjoying seeing them happy.”
As time passes on and his designation to return looms near, Waters feels confident in his ability to make an early impact.
“Everybody thinks when you’re coming back after an injury, you gotta ease back into it. But for me, I’m like, yeah, that could be the case. Or I can come back and look the same as if I never got hurt,” Waters said. “I look at it that way. It’s more of a challenge that I’m willing to accept.”
Despite the hectic life of being a division one student-athlete at a program that’s only known winning, now combined with the recent injury, Waters’s life outside basketball helps him to stay grounded.
“Playing video games, interacting with my dogs. I don’t really go out a lot. Reading my Bible and getting closer to my religion are the main three,” Waters said. “I also like going to the park. I go to a bunch of car lots and just look at different cars, so I like doing that. And I would say trying new food, trying different food.”
Next up on the list for SDSU is Miles Byrd. The lengthy six foot seven inch guard enters his third year in the program, as he utilized a redshirt year in his first season at SDSU.
Byrd was a four-star prospect out of high school in 2022 and the no. 89 recruit nationally, leaving Lincoln High School with a 58-11 record.
Last season for SDSU, Byrd appeared off the bench in 34 games, averaging four points and 2.5 rebounds. His best performance came in a career-high 13 points against New Mexico.
Byrd described his excitement for a large role as he puts on the jersey for another year at SDSU.
“You know, being one of the guys, it’s like, they remember my face from the past two years and there’s a lot of new faces, so I wouldn’t say there’s pressure that comes with that, but you know, just anticipation and excitement,” Byrd said.
Byrd was a true freshman when the Aztecs made their thrilling run to the national title game and has won at every level. He went in-depth on the formula to himself and SDSU’s success.
“This program has so much swagger. I wouldn’t even say we talk the most trash, I just say the way we carry ourselves, the way we work and consistently get better as the year goes on, I think that’s the reason why we’re so successful here,” Byrd said. “I want to go out there and I want to win every single time I have the opportunity to, and that’s just me being a competitor and loving the game.”
Given the recent success, Byrd is well aware of the expectations, and sets them even higher than the fans.
“I just want to win the national championship. We come in every season thinking we can do that, and I think this year is the same way,” Byrd said.
In the last exhibition against Cal State San Marcos, Byrd tallied 12 points, one block and four steals. The steals are a display of the active hands Byrd has off the ball, creating turnovers and pushing the break for easy transition buckets.
“Being active for me is big. I get a lot of deflections, I block a lot of shots, I get a lot of lane steals, and that’s what starts the offense. That’s my strong suit,” Byrd said.
The last of the three is junior forward Demarshay Johnson Jr., standing at six feet 10 inches with a long frame, Johnson Jr. is a key rotational piece to the team. Appearing in 16 games off the bench last season for SDSU, Johnson Jr. had his best game against St Katherine, logging two blocks and two steals.
Johnson Jr. is well aware of the defensive impact a player with his frame is capable of having on a basketball court.
“Being one of the big dudes in the middle, six foot ten, long frame, I’ve always been a guy that can guard pretty much every position, one through five. I can switch onto anybody and be pretty hard to get around to score on,” Johnson Jr. said.
With competition at the center position, Johnson Jr. has to be prepared to play minutes at the four for the Aztecs. Standing at six foot ten at the four, spacing the floor becomes a priority. Johnson Jr. keyed in on making sure he’s able to be plugged into any lineup seamlessly this offseason.
“So really, improving my shooting and creating space for my teammates was my focus,” Johnson Jr. said. “We can’t have the paint clogged, we need to be able to space out.”
As the start of the regular season approaches, Johnson Jr. feels good about the group representing SDSU this season.
“In the locker room right now we’re like brothers. We are all family. We always joke around and stuff like that. I feel we’re really connected. We’re getting closer every day, stuff like that. So it’s good energy,” Johnson Jr said.
While the team waits on the return of Waters, Byrd and Johnson Jr. will look to build on their solid exhibition play in the season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Viejas Arena versus the University of California, San Diego.
