The euphoria of San Diego State’s short-handed win against preseason No. 22 UCLA in a closed-door scrimmage was greeted by a splash of cold water two days later.
The results of a CT scan revealed that senior guard Reese Waters, the Aztecs’ top returning scorer and only member on the preseason all-conference team, has a navicular stress fracture in his right foot and will miss six to eight weeks, and perhaps longer.
The 6-foot-6 Waters has been sidelined for more than a week with a foot issue and didn’t play against UCLA. An X-ray was negative, an MRI was inconclusive, and the CT scan finally showed the stress reaction in the navicular – a boat-shaped bone in the mid-foot that helps transfer force from the ankle to forefoot.
The plan now: Put it in a protective boot for five weeks, then re-evaluate.
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Even if Waters is cleared to play then, it would probably take another week or so to get him game fit.
The good news: Doctors opted against surgery.
“If they thought surgery was the best course, I think they would have done it,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “They thought this is his best chance to heal up and get ready to go. But you can’t put a timeline on how fast he heals and how quickly he gets back to a point where he can play basketball. I never rush that process.”
Waters, SDSU’s most experienced returnee off a Sweet 16 team, averaged 9.6 points per game last season, including 22 in the win at Gonzaga and a career-high 24 against Cal. The USC transfer opened the season by making 43 straight free throws, best in the nation.
He was expected to start in the backcourt alongside redshirt sophomore Miles Byrd and Florida Atlantic transfer Nick Boyd, who’s had his own foot issues. Boyd spent two-plus months in a protective boot and only now is participating in limited practice drills.
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Waters likely will miss all six games in November, which includes No. 6 Gonzaga, No. 15 Creighton, Oregon and one other in the blockbuster Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
The Mountain West opener is at Fresno State on Dec. 4, or six weeks from now. That’s followed by home dates against USD (Dec. 7) and Cal Baptist (Dec. 11) before a 10-day break for finals.
Next up is a neutral-court game against Cal in San Jose on Dec. 21, which is 8½ weeks away. The conference home opener, Dec. 28 against Utah State, is 9½ weeks away.
“We scrimmaged UCLA without three or four guys and played pretty well,” Dutcher said of the 72-67 win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. “Obviously we’re at our best when Reese is on the floor. But the encouraging thing is hopefully we’ll get him back on the floor.
“Over the years, of all the teams in our conference, we’ve been able to survive injury more than anyone. We’ve got good players in this program. We want to be at 100% and be healthy, but we can’t sit there and obsess if we’re not. We’ve got players. It’s the cliché: next man up.”
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That likely means more minutes for sophomore BJ Davis, who appeared in only 12 games last season and scored 14 total points but exploded for 28 in the UCLA scrimmage with Waters, Boyd and USD transfer guard Wayne McKinney III all sidelined.
“BJ got an opportunity because all the other guys were hurt, and he made the most of his opportunity,” Dutcher said. “That’s what sports are all about. When given an opportunity, what do you do with that opportunity?”
McKinney III provides veteran relief, assuming he can shake the nagging hamstring problem that has twice sidelined him during the preseason. So does Brown grad transfer Kimo Ferrari, who can stretch defenses with his 3-point range. Freshman Taj DeGourville started against UCLA and played 34 minutes, finishing with five points and four rebounds (and only one turnover).
“It seems like it’s forever,” Dutcher said, “but most teams around the country would say, if we get one of our best players back by conference, that’s really good. … Now it’s the healing process. We’ll do another CT scan in five weeks and see what it looks like.”
San Diego State has received a commitment from Central Michigan quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., giving the Aztecs a pair of dual-threat transfers to compete for starting quarterback in spring practice.
Michigan transfer quarterback Jayden Denegal signed with the Aztecs following a midweek visit to campus.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Emanuel and the 6-5, 235-pound Denegal both have size, speed and strong arms. Both also have two years of eligibility remaining.
“I love competition,” Emanuel said Sunday morning before catching a flight home to Houston. “It brings out the best in people, so I feel like it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s always good for you. Iron sharpens iron.”
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Emanuel and Denegal were among more than two dozen transfers who made recruiting visits to SDSU the past two weeks.
Seventeen of the players have made commitments, including six who visited this weekend.
In addition to Emanuel, SDSU also received commitments from wide receivers Jacob Bostick (Texas A&M) and Trayvon Rudolph (Northern Illinois), defensive lineman Malachi Finau (Hawaii), linebacker Mister Williams (Incarnate Word) and cornerback Kai Rapolla (Cal Poly).
San Diego State has greeted more than two dozen transfer recruits the past two weekends. (Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Emanuel said he is impressed with the culture SDSU coach Sean Lewis and his staff are establishing.
“Everyone here is in love with football,” he said. “They aren’t just here for the money. They truly love football and that’s the type of team I want to be a part of. … The energy in the program is great, and I believe in (Lewis’) plan and system to go out there and help us win games.”
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SDSU got a glimpse of Emanuel in September, when he subbed for Central Michigan starting quarterback Joe Labas at times against the Aztecs. Emanuel attempted one pass while rushing six times for 32 yards in a 22-21 Chippewas victory.
Emanuel has been most impressive running the ball, carrying 145 times for 844 yards (6.1 ypc) and 12 touchdowns. The highlight was a 2022 game against Buffalo, when he rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Emanuel is 27 of 51 passing for 439 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.
Emanuel’s career has been sidetracked by injuries, but he’s healthy now and eager for a fresh start with the Aztecs.
“What I bring to the field is my dual-threat ability,” he said. “I am able to attack the defense through the air and also on the ground with my legs.”
Emanuel views himself as a good fit for the SDSU offense as “a dynamic quarterback here helping us win a lot of games and putting up a lot of points in the near future.”
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Emanuel is the son of Bert Emanuel Sr., who was a college quarterback at UCLA and Rice before playing eight seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver.
“It helps a lot being able to sit back and just talk ball with him, any day, all day,” Emanuel said. “I know I can just call him and talk football.”
Among the newcomers joining Emanuel is Rudolph, who collected 151 receptions for 2,032 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time at Northern Illinois. The Huskies just happen to be SDSU’s Week 4 opponent on the 2025 schedule.
Rapolla had 41 tackles this season at Cal Poly, with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Williams, who is the older brother of SDSU safety Prince Williams, had four sacks among 78 tackles this season at Incarnate Word.
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SDSU received commitments from Denegal, running back Christian Williams (Coastal Carolina), a Helix High School graduate, and defensive back Dwayne McDougle (Idaho) after midweek visits.
The transfer commitments began pouring in just more than a week ago after SDSU brought in 11 players for visits. Seven players from that group have committed.
The offense added wide receiver Myles Kitt-Denton (Northwestern State), tight ends Jackson Ford (Tulsa) and Seth Adams (Southeastern Louisiana) and offensive lineman Bayo Kannike (Utah Tech).
The defense added edge Niles King (Grand Valley State) and linebacker Tanner Williams (Utah State). Punter Hunter Green (Northern Colorado) also signed.
SDSU had 22 players enter the transfer portal, though two who announced (wide receiver Jordan Napier and linebacker Brady Anderson) have decided to remain with the Aztecs.
Law enforcement at the scene of a fatal shooting in Oak Park, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Courtesy Onscene.Media
Law enforcement is investigating a fatal shooting that took place Saturday night at an independent living facility in the neighborhood of Oak Park.
Police responded to calls about an assault with a deadly weapon on the 3100 block of 54th St. at around 10:24 p.m. and arrived to find a man with a gunshot wound to his upper torso.
“[There are] several people inside the house that detectives are speaking with,” Lt. Lou Maggi with San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit told Onscene.Media.
“About nine people inside the house and then several more people outside.”
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He added that investigators do not yet have a description of a suspect, but they do not believe that the shooting was random or that there is any threat to the community at large.
SDPD is asking anybody with any information to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293, or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At the beginning of December, it was a called a ‘last ditch effort,’ by Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. On December 17th, Mayor Aguirre left for Washington D.C. to get funding for the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Saturday, President Biden signed a federal funding bill that will dole out $250 million towards the full repair and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant near our southern border. It’s been a long wait for relief for south bay residents — relief from the smell and relief from a federal level.
Back in August, we spoke with Everett Sena who expressed his frustration after living in the area with his wife for more than 40 years.
“We can smell it at night, you can smell it at the wee hours of the morning,” he tells us. “It’s pretty annoying. I mean we’ve dealt with it for years already and I just wish the system would be taken care of because we’ve dealt with it.”
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The action taken by the White House comes after Mayor Aguirre told ABC 10News she was going to push for a federal state of emergency while in D.C. and felt optimistic about her conversations with republican congress members.
In an Instagram post, Mayor Aguirre called it a’success.’
The Tijuana sewage crisis has been a decades long issue, 10news has been following along the way.
From county leaders calling for federal help including San Diego County Supervisor, Terra Lawson-Remer. At a presser back in Juneshe doubled down once again.
“We’ve been demanding that the state and federal government take urgent action to clean up the Tijuana sewage crisis and to protect public health.”
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And even the younger generation taking a stand, like the Imperial Beach Charter second graders who sent letters to the President.
This, while South Bay residents have been trying their best to adjust to the persistent stench, where they’ve called it terrible.
And while its a step in the right direction, Mayor Aguirre explains the fight is far from over.
“The plant itself is not going to solve the entire crisis. The plant will treat 50 million gallons per day of sewage once it’s completed, which won’t be for another 5 years.”
You can track the progress of the upgrades to the South Bay International Wastewater treatment plant here.
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