New Mexico
Aztecs learn injury fate of Magoon Gwath ahead of showdown vs. New Mexico
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.”
Originally Published:
Grant’s Monday Night Forecast
A few evaporating rain showers are possible again Tuesday with warmer temperatures. Windier weather later this week will bring a high fire danger back to New Mexico.
It’s been a warm day with a few isolated showers and thunderstorms across central and northern New Mexico. Some of that rain has made it to the ground, while other showers have evaporated before reaching the surface. Temperatures have climbed into the 70s and 80s for most of the state. Showers will fade after sunset, with mostly clear skies overnight and mild temperatures.
Even warmer weather is on the way Tuesday with lighter winds. More areas will reach the 80s by the afternoon. A few spotty showers will develop again, especially near the mountains, with some of that rain evaporating before reaching the ground.
Winds pick up Wednesday afternoon, with gusts between 25 and 45 mph. This will begin another stretch of high fire danger across the state. The strongest winds arrive Thursday, with westerly gusts of 35 to 55 mph. That will expand the fire danger statewide. A dry cold front will move through Thursday as well, but temperatures will only drop slightly, ending up closer to average.
Breezy conditions continue Friday through the weekend as the jet stream pulls more moisture into New Mexico. That will bring increasing chances for rain and thunderstorms this weekend, with a few lingering into early next week.
New Mexico
Landlord AC ordinance, Rio Grande water levels, Spotty rain, New legislative office, New Mexico Motorfest
Monday’s Top Stories
Monday’s Five Facts
[1] ABQ City Councilor aims to bolster protections for renters amid unseasonable warmth – Albuquerque city councilor is looking to make sure city landlords are not only providing cooling systems, but also ensuring they actually work when they’re needed. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn spearheaded an ordinance in December of 2024, requiring all Albuquerque rental properties to have a cooling system. Now, Fiebelkorn is taking it a step further, hoping to establish cooling system performance requirements. The ordinance is expected to be voted on in final action at Monday’s city council meeting.
[2] Rio Grande showing dry spots in Valencia County amid record-low snowpack – Portions of the Rio Grande are now seeing dry spots earlier than expected. Officials say the timing is not normal. In Valencia County, parts of the river are already running dry. Near the river crossing in Los Lunas, the river has open pockets. Further south, it is being reported as dry as well. There is a slight positive outlook for the monsoon season, with forecasters and officials predicting a strong season in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.
[3] Very spotty rainfall, warmer, & mostly calm week – Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground. Temperatures will continue to increase through the middle of the week.
[4] NM representatives celebrate grand opening of new office with open house – A new state legislative office made its debut for representatives Eleanor Chavez and Yanira Gurrola. The new location is just one of the handful of new legislative offices now open across the state. They hosted a grand opening for the building that was open to the public. Representative Gurrola says it’s just one step towards modernizing the state’s legislature. The new office will allow residents to stay more connected to each representative.
[5] New Mexico Motorfest 2026 takes place in celebration of Route 66 Centennial – Another Route 66 celebration took place over the weekend and this one was all about cars. The New Mexico Motorfest happened at the Expo New Mexico racetrack. Over 300 vehicles from classic hot rods to lifted trucks were featured at the event. Some of the proceeds went to New Mexico veterans.
New Mexico
Los Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
Students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair at New Mexico Tech. Photo CourtesyLAPS
LAHS junior Tate Plohr and freshman Linus Plohr qualified to attend the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Los Alamos Middle School student Branden Keller was awarded the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair. Photo Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Twenty students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) and Los Alamos High School (LAHS) competed, with several garnering awards at the 2026 New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
LAHS junior Tate Plohr qualified to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) next month in Phoenix, Ariz. He was awarded the 3rd-place Grand Award. Freshman Linus Plohr qualified as an alternate and will also be attending the Regeneron ISEF.
Students who participated in the state competition include, from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Sydney Chen, Mary Beth Kelsey, Lily Neale, Aurora Roberts Voss and Henry Rodarte; and Glyn Lo and Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary.
Students from LAMS who competed include Evelyn Fobes, Mason Garcia, Andrew Gilbertson, James Junghans, Sequoya Ke, Brandon Keller, Nejan Liyanage and Daniel Yampolsky.
LAHS students Julia Neale, Linus Plohr, Tate Plohr, Lilia Veteva, Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch competed at the senior level.
2026 Award winners:
Category Awards – Junior Division
- Animal Science, Cellular & Molecular
- Biomedical & Health Science
- Honorable Mention: Sequoya Ke
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, Software & Technology
- 2nd place: Nejan Liyanage
- Physics & Astronomy
- 1st place: Sydney Chen
- 2nd place: Mason Garcia
- Honorable Mention: Marybeth Kelsey
- Plant Science
Category Awards – Senior Division
- Behavioral & Social Science:
- Honorable Mention: Linus Plohr
- Earth & Environmental
- Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, & System Software
- 3rd Place: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch
- Physics & Astronomy
Grand Awards
- ISEF finalist 3rd place: Tate Plohr
- Brandon Keller received the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. James Jungans and Marybeth Kelsey garnered Thermo Fisher Awards.
Other special award winners include:
- CO2 & Greenhouse Reduction Awards (Junior Division)
- Daniel Yampolsky, 2nd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Sequoya Ke, 1st place, Biomedical & Health Science
- Brandon Keller, 1st place, Energy & Materials Science
- Andrew Gilbertson, 1st place, Physics & Astronomy
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award (Senior Division)
- Lilia Viteva, 1st place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Office of Naval Research Award
- David Shortess Award
- New Mexico AVS Award
- Citadel Award
- Naval Research Award
- NM Network for Women in Science & Engineering Award
- Yale Science & Engineering Award
- Rose Baca Rivet Award
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