The energy on the Mesa has returned. With depth across the lineup and a core that already understands what winning looks like, San Diego State sees three players stepping into bigger roles: sophomores Taj DeGourville and Pharaoh Compton, and junior BJ Davis.

Taj DeGourville: Confidence on repeat

DeGourville’s freshman year already hinted at a trusted rotation piece: 31 appearances (all off the bench), 5.1 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game and 57 total assists in 18.9 minutes per game. He also ranked in the top-five team finishes in assists, steals, blocks and made threes. Notably, he led all true freshmen in conference minutes, an early sign of trust from the coaching staff and a window into what’s next.

The sophomore focus is all about stripping out hesitation.

“I shot the ball really well this off-season, so just working on getting my shots up and getting to my spots on the court, because now I know where I can get my shots from,” DeGourville said. “And just building my endurance and defense, that’s something I know I need to take the next step on if I want to keep on playing here.”

Among Mountain West freshmen, he ranked No. 2 in assists and No. 5 in several shooting and rebounding categories. Despite that success, he remained candid about last year’s ebb and flow.

“I felt during the season like I wasn’t able to get a good rhythm because I wasn’t consistent shooting the ball, and I wasn’t confident enough shooting the ball,” he said. “I made sure I ripped that out this summer. I’m confident enough to let it go every time.”

That rhythm is built on comfort, with both teammates and expectations.

“I’m already comfortable here, so it just allows us to become closer,” DeGourville said. “We have a brotherhood here, and we look to keep getting better and keep getting stronger, growing that relationship with each other.”

At the mention of competitive practices and early tests, he grinned.

“It’s very competitive,” he said. “I’m excited to be back in Viejas, for sure, because it’s like a volcano in there. It’s gonna be a good game, because UCLA and against USD… there’s no walking into things. We’re straight running into it.”

Pharaoh Compton: Lighter feet, heavier impact

Compton was one of the nation’s most efficient freshmen around the rim, hitting 64.5% from the field with 34 dunks among his 71 makes, and averaging 5.4 points and 2.4 boards in just 13.3 minutes. His power game caught attention early, but year two arrives with a retooled body and a louder voice.

“I meal prepped,” Compton said of the offseason. “I just wanted to add muscle and be lighter on my feet. So it all boils down to what you eat.”

The on-court checklist reads like a blueprint for a breakout. Two-time Mountain West Freshman of the Week, Compton flashed big-stage poise with 13 points against Houston at the Players Era Festival last year.

“My finishing ability, it’s gonna be the same,” he said. “I’m expected to be one of the top finishers in the country and in the Mountain West. I went perfect from the free-throw line in my first two scrimmages. I didn’t miss any, so look for that percentage to go up as well.”

The rebounding climb is already visible.

“I was the leading rebounder in both scrimmages,” Compton said. “Just having eight rebounds in 22 minutes, that’s a big thing for the team.”

And the team goals? Unapologetically high.

“Baseline is to win a Mountain West championship,” he said. “I’ve heard [Miles] Byrd and the rest of the guys talking about playing a national championship as well.”

Compton’s mindset extends beyond production; he’s shaping the team’s tone.

“I am more of a vocal leader throughout the team; my voice is being heard in a positive manner,” he said. “So hopefully everybody will follow the lead of being vocal.”

BJ Davis: The tempo keeper

Davis started all 31 games as a sophomore and finished third on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg) while ranking No. 7 in the Mountain West in steals (48). He hit 35.9% from three, recorded 15 double-figure nights and posted a career-best 18 in back-to-backs against Creighton and Oregon.

With leading scorer Nick Boyd transferring to Wisconsin, Davis’s blend of playmaking and pressure defense becomes central.

“Just really going out there and playing with everything I got,” Davis said. “Every game, leaving it out there.”

The early-season gauntlet last year helped set his bar.

“Playing those opponents and performing how I did gave me a little confidence,” he said.

But confidence isn’t the same as comfort — Davis understands the challenge of balancing scoring with sharing the rock.

“I could score the ball at a high level,” Davis said. “But it’s a fine line of trying to get everybody else involved and still trying to maintain my own offense. Sometimes people feel like they’re not engaged in offense and they won’t play defense; it just stems from there.”

Leadership, then, is as much about example as it is about talk.

“Just leading by example,” he said. “Playing hard, trying not to take no plays off so the guys can see and replicate the same thing.”

His offseason emphasis looks set on strength, handle and catch-and-shoot rhythm.

“It allows you to play off two feet,” Davis said on adding strength. “Basketball is a physical game. It’s a game of angles, too. So if you’re driving a straight line and somebody else is trying to cut you off and take you off of that line, you got to be strong enough to stay on it. So just really being able to play physically and through physicality.”

Together, DeGourville’s rhythm, Compton’s energy and Davis’s composure embody San Diego State’s identity shift — a roster no longer rebuilding, but refining. Depth and chemistry, not star power, define this next leap.

SDSU and its returners will play an exhibition game against the San Diego Toreros on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Viejas Arena.

“Hang the banner,” Davis said. “Last year in the Mountain West, I want to go down in history with that. That’s definitely one of my goals this year.”