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San Diego State Basketball: Impact of landing grad transfer Terrell Gomez

By Lukas Harkins

BOISE, ID - DECEMBER 28: Guard Terrell Gomez #3 of the CSU Northridge Matadors dribbles around the defense of guard Justinian Jessup #3 of the Boise State Broncos during second half action at ExtraMile Arena on December 28, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game 103-72. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID - DECEMBER 28: Guard Terrell Gomez #3 of the CSU Northridge Matadors dribbles around the defense of guard Justinian Jessup #3 of the Boise State Broncos during second half action at ExtraMile Arena on December 28, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game 103-72. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /
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San Diego State basketball just picked an immediately eligible guard in Terrell Gomez. How can the graduate transfer make an impact with the Aztecs?

San Diego State basketball is fresh off one of its best seasons in recent memory. While the Aztecs were unable to finish the campaign with a deep run in the NCAA Tournament due to its cancelation, no one should dispute that they were one of the best teams in the country. Head coach Brian Dutcher’s squad jumped out to a 26-0 start and was likely to receive a No. 1 or 2 seed to the Big Dance.

Looking ahead to the 2020-21 season, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to once again see San Diego State as a mainstay in the AP Top 25. This is mostly due to the strong crew of returning pieces from this past campaign but Coach Dutcher has already snagged one of the best immediately-eligible transfers in the portal this offseason in the form of Terrell Gomez as well.

A scoring phenom out of CSUN, Gomez has heavily targeted by the likes of Washington State, Iowa State, and Arkansas (among others) before electing to take his talents to San Diego State. He announced his transfer destination on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/terrellgomez3/status/1247585354023972864

Gomez will immediately bring a scoring punch to San Diego State’s rotation next season. Although he stands at just 5-foot-8, he is unafraid of the big moment and is a proven scorer. That much has been evident over the past two seasons as Gomez absolutely torched the rest of the Big West. He averaged 19.5 points per game over those campaigns and scored in double-figures in 63 of 66 contests. Gomez’s consistency is worth noting.

He also shot a ridiculous 228-for-531 (42.9%) from 3-point range. He is easily one of the best perimeter threats in the country with his abilities to create for himself or operate in catch-and-shoot situations. Gomez also shot 94.8% from the foul line in 2019-20.

Considering these statistics, it is easy to see why high-major programs were eager to potentially land his final year of eligibility. Gomez is an elite scorer and top-notch shooting threat, even at high volumes.

It is also important to mention that San Diego State seems like a perfect fit for him. Gomez is already familiar with the program and should be an instant asset on the offensive end. He is an incredibly valuable addition for the Aztecs as they could be losing All-American guard Malachi Flynn to the NBA this offseason in addition to KJ Feagin’s graduation.

If that turns out to be the case, Gomez will be ready to fill the primary scoring role for the team at the starting lead guard spot. Flynn could still return to school, though, and his pairing with Gomez would result in San Diego State owning one of the nation’s most potent backcourts. They are both high-level scorers that understand how to get others involved as well.

Gomez mentioned the potential team-up with Flynn to The San Diego State Union-Tribune:

"“If he does come back, we’ll be the best backcourt in the country. I feel that we both can complement each other because we both can pass, dribble and shoot. I know he’s very unselfish and I’m very unselfish, although we do score a lot of points. If he comes back, I think we can be a top-5 team all year."

Looking ahead to the rest of the offseason, San Diego State is currently out of available scholarships unless Flynn leaves for the pros or someone else elects to transfer. If another scholarship opens, it is likely that Coach Dutcher will look to add a big man now that his backcourt features a scorer of Gomez’s caliber. With Yanni Wetzell and Nolan Narain both departing this offseason, San Diego State would likely prefer that addition to be immediately-eligible.

In terms of early targets, Loyola-Maryland’s Mattias Markusson seems to be near the top of the list. The 7-foot-3 graduate transfer would obviously bring plenty of size to the roster and he averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 2018-19 (he sat out this past season). He could follow in the footsteps of Wetzell’s success as a foreign transfer addition to the frontcourt.

Next. 68 defining moments of the 2019-20 season. dark

Thanks to this addition of Terrell Gomez, San Diego State basketball once again looks to be in good shape for a strong campaign in 2020-21. Malachi Flynn’s looming decision regarding returning to SDSU remains the biggest offseason storyline for the program but now there is a back-up plan if he chooses to go pro. If he does come back, the Aztecs will have a dynamite guard duo.