San Diego State men’s basketball head coach Brian Dutcher has a knack for picking up under-the-radar transfers and coaching them up to be impact players on his team.

In the past couple of years, Aztecs like Micah Parrish (Oakland University), Darrion Trammell (Seattle University), Wayne McKinney III (University of San Diego), Nick Boyd (Florida Atlantic University) and Jared Coleman-Jones (Middle Tennessee State) have all been impact players on the Mesa.

This year’s transfer class includes the likes of senior guard Sean Newman Jr. (Louisiana Tech),  junior guard Latrell Davis (San Jose State), and senior forward Jeremiah Oden (Charlotte). Considering that none of the new Aztecs were on Power 4 teams last season, coach Dutcher and his staff had to look beneath the surface to fill the spots of the players who vacated the program; they are accustomed to this process.

“We make sure [our transfer recruits] want to come here for the right reason,” Dutcher said. “They have been in other programs, but they have not won at the level they want to win at. If their goal is to win, then they are willing to come here to sacrifice to win. We do not get a lot of five-stars, but the guys we get have five-star talent and five-star upside.”

Newman Jr., a serious double-double threat, played two seasons at Louisiana Tech after transferring from the junior college ranks. His 9.9 points per game and 7.9 assists per game last season propelled him to Third Team All-Conference USA honors.

As a senior entering his fifth year of college basketball, Newman Jr. wants to assert himself as a leader for the Scarlet and Black this season. He believes that leadership is at the foundation of SDSU men’s basketball.

“[I want] to be a leader [and] get guys involved,” the veteran guard explained. “[I want] to make sure I am the same guy, making sure I am bringing my energy, effort and leadership. I am a selfless guy; I feel like getting my teammates better is something that brings joy to me and makes me special.”

As Newman Jr. enters the most prestigious conference he has played in during his collegiate tenure, he plans to lean on his consistent improvement to push him towards success.

“I have put in a ton of work,” Newman Jr. emphasized. “I feel like the better players you have around yourself, it just forces you to become better. The coaches here demand a lot, and I feel like it pushes you to another level, a level that you thought you were not capable of reaching. I definitely think I will continue to rise.”

Davis joins the Aztecs from San Jose State, a Mountain West adversary, so he is very familiar with the conference and what to expect come conference play.

“I have been in the Mountain West for two years, so I kind of know what to expect,” Davis said. “A lot of people transferred out of the Mountain West last year; it is going to be a whole different league, especially with Grand Canyon University coming in, too. It is good to have experience, especially when you go to Air Force and Wyoming, where [there is] altitude.”

Since joining his new team, Davis has already made significant strides towards development, specifically in his defensive game. Coach Dutcher is traditionally a defense-first head coach, emphasizing keeping opposing offenses to a minimum. 

“My defense is a lot different from my old school,” Davis explained. “I feel like [the staff] has coached me in the right way, helping me with aspects of my game that they feel are not as strong. [They have also] helped me improve my strengths on top [everything], too.”

Davis’s aforementioned strengths lie on the offensive side; he averaged 11.1 points per game last season for the Spartans. Davis can score in bunches, posting seven games of 20 points or more. Furthermore, he shot 38.3% from beyond the arc.

Arguably, the most experienced transfer is Oden, who also played in the Mountain West before coming to the Mesa. Before leaving the conference, he spent three years at Wyoming, averaging 9.6 points per game in his junior year and adding 3.2 rebounds per game.

“Obviously, there are new players, but most of these teams’ systems stand,” Oden said. “[I am] able to shed some light on some of [the teams for] some of the new players [and] first-players in the league. We also have some other dudes that have been there, so that helps.”

Oden left the Cowboys for DePaul, playing against some of the best talent in the country in the Big East, sharing the sentiment that there is “nothing I have not seen in college basketball.”

After DePaul, Oden faced a great deal of strife at Charlotte. His would-be fifth year of college basketball was shut down due to a season-ending preseason surgery. Despite the negatives that come with an injury, Oden is determined to use his trials and tribulations as motivation.

“I think I definitely have another level I can get to,” the tried-and-true forward said. “[My] potential has always been kind of obvious. This year, I think [the team] will benefit from reaping the benefits of [my potential].”

As the three transfers prepare for the season, they have become familiar with their teammates and the SDSU men’s basketball culture as a whole; the bonds they form with each other will only add to the X’s and O’s that coach Dutcher is already preaching about.

SDSU and its new veteran faces play an exhibition game against the San Diego Toreros on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Viejas Arena. Still, the main event is the Aztecs’ first regular-season game as they welcome Long Beach State to Viejas Arena on Nov. 4.