Evaluating Nique Clifford, Miles Byrd, and Magoon Gwath in the Colorado State-San Diego State Game

February 9th, 2025

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Nique Clifford and Colorado State take on Miles Byrd and San Diego State in a very competitive Mountain West Conference basketball game. San Diego State made a lot of shots early, especially from their skilled front court, whom displayed solid outside shooting, but Colorado State had a terrific all-around performance from Nique Clifford, as he scored 21 points, made 4 threes, and hauled in 13 rebounds to get his team the 68-63 win. Here are my thoughts on how Clifford, Byrd, and other various prospects fared in this game, as well as how their games may translate to the NBA.

Nique Clifford scored 21 points, made 4 threes, and had 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists to lead Colorado State to a 68-63 win over San Diego State, and he could be a first round pick in the 2025 draft. (Photo: David Zalubowski/Associated Press, via The Denver Post)

Colorado State’s 6-6 senior swingman, Nique Clifford had a strong showing to help lead his team to a hard-fought win over San Diego State. Clifford was especially impressive on the offensive end, as he consistently scored the basketball, and made tough shots effortlessly, and he was able to make some impressively athletic plays on both ends of the floor.

Clifford did a tremendous job of knocking down outside shots, especially from beyond the arc. He did a great job of making threes, as he showed the ball-handling prowess and footwork to create separation and make dribble three-pointers, and he also was able to run quickly off of a ball screen to make a quick three early on to showcase his movement shooting skills. Clifford is a highly skilled shooter that can make shots in all sorts of ways, and he was able to use a behind-the-back dribble move before making a smooth, step-back three. Plus, he also excelled as a mid-range jump shooter and scorer out of the post. Also, Clifford ran the floor to get the ball in order to score on a high-flying dunk.

He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. He was able to score on a crafty switch of hands layup on a hard drive to the hoop. He also showed a knack for getting fouled in order to get to the free throw line. He struggled at times to score in traffic when he would look to take it all the way to the hoop, but Clifford did a great job of making shots overall.

He also showcased decent playmaking skills. Clifford is an unselfish player that can operate either as the lead ball handler, at least at the collegiate level, or as an off-ball player. He would throw timely pass and quickly swing the ball to find the open man, and he also can deftly make drive and kick passes to find open shooters. On the downside, sometimes he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would go astray, which would lead to some turnovers.

Plus, Clifford did an excellent job of rebounding the basketball. He was essentially the chairman of the boards, and he hauled in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, as he especially thrived at collecting defensive rebounds. In addition, Clifford defended very well in this game. He showed a knack for jumping errant passes to get steals. He has good hands and is well-schooled defensively. He also would apply ball pressure, and stay in front of his man to contest jump shots to force plenty of misses.

In general, Nique Clifford had a great game, and he played terrific basketball to help his team get a much deserved win over San Diego State. He is an underrated prospect that projects well into a 3 and D role, and he also has shown some shot creation skills as well as the potential to be a movement shooter at the NBA level, and he has the skills that could enable him to be a solid role player similar to Atlanta Hawks’ guard, Terance Mann in the NBA.

Miles Byrd scored six of his seven points in the first half in his team’s 68-63 loss to Colorado State. He also had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, but he went just 2 of 11 from the field, and he made just 1 of 8 of his three-pointers in this game. (Photo: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

San Diego State’s 6-7 junior, Miles Byrd had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Colorado State. He is an athletic, skilled swingman that shot the ball well early on, but he struggled to make shots down the stretch in crunch time.

Byrd is a skilled swingman that profiles into a sharpshooter role, and he has the size, length, and above average shot creation skills that could make him a projectable plus-level shooter at the NBA level. In this game, Byrd made a deep three off the catch to really tantalize NBA scouts and teams with his shooting potential.

He also made a quick cut to get the ball in order to score on a powerful dunk to showcase an enticing ability to score on the move. Plus, Byrd showed that he can draw fouls on strong, patient drives to the hoop. However, Byrd struggled to make threes as the game wore on, as he didn’t shoot nearly as well as anticipated or hoped, and he also missed on an aggressive left-handed drive another time. While he showed the potential to excel as a versatile scorer on the floor, Byrd had trouble consistently making his shots, and it was clear that this was just not his night.

Also, he showcased decent playmaking skills. Byrd is an unselfish player that has solid court vision. He was able to throw a sharp pass to find a cutter to notch an assist. He also ran the floor to make a quick dish to get another. He showed that he can aptly find teammates on the move as well as make passes off the dribble. Sometimes though, he would play too carelessly, which would lead him to commit some turnovers. On one play, he drove hard to his left but lost the ball. On another, he threw a hasty pass on the break that got intercepted.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, Byrd was able to get multiple offensive boards. On the downside, he did not get a single defensive rebound in this game. He also played decent defense in this game. Byrd is an active defender that will look to stay with his man, and he would contest a variety of shots to force misses. On one play though, he fell and got outmuscled when defending off the ball, as he struggled to stay with his man and was late to close out on a shooter, which led him to give up a three-point basket late in the game.

Overall, Byrd is an athletic, skilled swingman that projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. He’s not particularly explosive, but he has good length, athleticism, and has projectable upside, and he could be an interesting option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the 2025 draft. He’ll need to be more consistent in games, but if he continues to work hard and hone his craft, he could end up being a solid role player in the similar to former Denver Nuggets’ guard, Will Barton in the NBA.

Magoon Gwath scored 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting, and he also had 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist, as he notched a double-double in his team’s February 8th loss to Colorado State. (Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

San Diego State’s 7-0 freshman big man, Magoon Gwath had a very solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Colorado State. He is an athletic, skilled big man that showed off more offensive skills than anticipated, as he showcased a fairly solid face-up game, as well as the instincts to be a rim protector on the defensive end.

Gwath is a skilled big man that did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He was able to utilize an impressive, subtle Euro-step move on a drive to the hoop to score smoothly around the basket. He also used a pump fake to score on a smooth baseline drive. In addition, Gwath used a strong drop step move to score out of the post while getting fouled.

He also excelled at finishing plays around the basket, particularly off of put backs. He also was able to score on a turnaround layup off of an offensive rebound late in the game. He also drew free throws after getting the ball on a roll to the rim. While Gwath struggled more to make outside shots, he showed good form on his shot and the willingness to take them, which is promising. He was able to run off of a ball screen to make an open, long two-pointer, but he was inconsistent in making mid-range shots and missed his lone three-point attempt.

He also passed the ball well. Gwath was able to pass out of the post to notch an assist. He also threw a sharp pass to a roll man to find a teammate on the move another time. Plus, Gwath did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played decent defense in this game. He is an active rim protector that would rotate to block shots to help his team protect the paint, due to possessing solid length, athleticism, timing, and instincts. He also was able to force a travel when defending in the post, and he also deflected a pass another time. Sometimes though, he would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Gwath is an interesting big man that may have considerable upside, as he showed a promising face-up game along with underrated passing skills, and he is also a good shot blocker that can help his team protect the paint. He’ll need to add more muscle to his frame to be able to handle defending stronger opponents on a more consistent basis, but it’ll be interesting to watch his progress over the years. Right now, he is a second round prospect for the upcoming draft, but if he continues to work hard and hone his game, he could end up being a solid rotational big man similar to former Minnesota Timberwolves’ center, Giorgui Dieng in the NBA.

San Diego State’s 6-10 senior forward, Jared Coleman-Jones had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Colorado State. He especially excelled as a floor spacer in the first half of this game, and he was able to show some rim protection skills to help his team defensively in the second half.

Coleman-Jones shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc. He would run off the ball to make smooth, spot-up threes off the catch. He also managed to draw free throws on a quick roll to the rim. On the downside, he missed on a couple of mid-range jumpers. Still, his size, above average athletic gifts, and ability to stretch the defenses makes him an asset on offense, as his shooting skills, especially for a player his size can enable him to create mismatches that can swing in his team’s favor.

He also passed and handled the ball well. He is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble as well as out of the post to get the ball to shooters. He also was able to get a few boards to help chip in on the glass. Also, Coleman-Jones played adequate defense in this game. He was able to rotate to block a shot off of a drive out of bounds due to possessing solid length, athleticism, and timing. Another time, he rotated but committed a blocking foul on a drive that led his team to give up a score and a free throw on the play.

Overall, Coleman-Jones is a fairly athletic, skilled forward that projects well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. While he has flown under the radar as a draft prospect, his versatility could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA in the future.

San Diego State’s 6-5 freshman guard, Taj DeGourville had an adequate showing in this game, and he especially played well in the first half. He scored the basketball in a variety of ways. He excelled at scoring on the move, as he was able to score on a quick cut, as well as on a fast break. He also ran quickly off of a ball screen to make an open three-pointer. On the downside, he struggled to make mid-range jumpers off the dribble.

He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game. He was able to find open teammates on the move to get them the basketball at times. Other times, he would throw bad passes and make hasty decisions that would lead him to commit turnovers.

On the downside, he did not grab a single rebound in this game. He also played adequate defense. DeGourville was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, but he also committed a reach-in foul another time. Overall, DeGourville is a fairly athletic, skilled swingman that could project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. He’ll need more seasoning, so he’ll need to spend time in college to hone his game, but he could be a prospect to watch in the future.

Kyan Evans is a fairly athletic, skilled combo guard that played well in his team’s win over San Diego State. He showed a knack for making threes, as he can do so both off the catch and dribble, and he also defended well. He would actively contest shots to force misses, and he also blocked a shot off of a drive out of bounds due to possessing the athleticism, timing, and instincts to do so. Overall, he played well, especially in the second half, and he is a sharpshooting combo guard that could be a prospect to watch in the future.

BJ Davis had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Colorado State. He didn’t shoot efficiently overall, as he missed all of his two-point shots, but he did shoot the three-ball well. He especially excelled at making open, spot-up threes, and he also ran off the ball to make a quick three off the catch late in this game.

He also played adequate defense. He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal, but sometimes he would commit reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness. Overall, Davis is a sharpshooting combo guard that will need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but his jump shot could enable him to carve out a playing career in professional basketball sometime down the road.

Colorado State’s 6-8 sophomore forward, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had his ups and downs in his team’s win over San Diego State. Though he didn’t shoot the ball well overall, he is an aggressive scorer that was able to make a variety of shots, especially early on. Johnson excelled at scoring on the move, as he can do so off of put backs and cuts. He also made an open three-pointer, but he struggled to score consistently. He also struggled to finish plays around the basket in post-up situations, as he can some trouble going up against length and athleticism.

On the downside, he was fairly turnover prone. On one good play, he was able to throw an interior pass to a roll man to set up a scoring chance for his teammate. However, he tended to commit turnovers on offense.

Also, he was able to get his fair share of boards, as he was active at crashing the glass to get offensive rebounds. However, he didn’t get many defensive rebounds in this game. He also played adequate defense. He was able to rotate to alter a shot off of a drive to force a miss. On one play though, he was late to rotate to his man, which led his team to give up a three-point basket.

Overall, Crocker-Johnson didn’t have his best game, but he is an aggressive scorer that could project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. He’ll need to continue to work on his game and hone his craft, but over time, he could end up developing into a really solid college basketball player, and he could be a prospect to keep tabs on in the future.

Nick Boyd is an agile, skilled point guard that did a good job of making passes off the dribble to rack up assists for San Diego State in his team’s loss to Colorado State. He was fairly effective at scoring on left-handed drives to the hoop, but he struggled to knock down jump shots, especially from the outside. Overall, he’ll need to improve his outside shot and defense, but his ability to run the team could enable him to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball when his collegiate career ends.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Clifford, Byrd, Gwath, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.