SAN DIEGO – San Diego State men’s basketball guards Miles Byrd, Reese Dixon Waters and BJ Davis have garnered postseason recognition from the head coaches and media members who regularly cover the Mountain West, it was announced from the league office in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday.
Based on their play in Mountain West games, Byrd has been named the Defensive Player of the Year, which includes a spot on the All-Defensive Team, as well as a third-team all-league performer. Dixon-Waters is a second-team selection and Davis garnered honorable mention accolades.
Byrd, a 6-6 wing, is the ninth San Diego State player to be named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and is the fifth straight Aztec to earn the honor. His All-Defensive Team and All-Mountain West honors are each the second of his college career. The Stockton, Calif., native leads the team in blocks (36), steals (57), and defensive rebounds (119). He is second among the Aztecs in assists (81), rebounds (134), 3-point field goals (42), 3-point attempts (126), field goals (105), field goal attempts (257) and minutes (830), and ranks third in free throws (66), free throw attempts (82) and points (318). Byrd is the only Aztec, since at least the 1996-97 season, to have the combined statistics of 840 points, 354 rebounds, 200 assists and 88 blocks. Earlier this season, at UNLV, he became the only player in the nation, since at least the 1996-97 season, with a game in which he scored at least 23 points, was perfect from beyond the arc on a minimum of five attempts, perfect from the line on a minimum of four attempts and had at least five assists and four steals.
In Mountain West games, Byrd, a junior in eligibility and a senior academically, leads the conference in steals (2.15/game) and ranks No. 3 in blocks (1.5/game), No. 8 in defensive rebounds (4.4/game), No. 12 in rebounds (4.95/game) & free throw percentage (.813), and No. 15 in assists (2.85/game). Overall, among league performers he ranks No. 4 in blocks (1.2/game) and steals (1.9/game) & No. 10 in defensive rebounds (3.97/game). Nationally, among the top 100, his steals per game rank No. 58 and his total steals rank No. 63. Byrd has reached double figure scoring in 16 games, including seven games of 15 or more points, and has led the squad in points nine times, rebounds five times and assists 10 times.
A Long Beach, California native, Dixon-Waters earned the first Mountain West postseason award of his Aztec career. He leads the team in points (382), points per game (13.2), 3-point field goals (49), 3-point attempts (136), field goals (127), field goal attempts (298) and minutes (856). He is second on the squad in defensive rebounds (89), free throw percentage (.878), free throws (79) and free throw attempts (90), and ranks third in rebounds (106). Dixon-Waters passed the 1,000-career point milestone at UNLV (1-24-26) and enters the Mountain West Championship with 1,184 points.
A senior, Dixon-Waters ranks No. 3 in free throw percentage (.884), No. 11 in 3-point field goals (1.75/game), No. 12 in points (13.9/game) and No. 15 in minutes (30.39/game) in league contests. Overall, among Mountain West players, he is No. 3 in free throw percentage, No. 12 in 3-point field goals, and No. 14 in scoring. On a national stage, his 87.8 percent free throw shooting ranks No. 46. Playing in 29 of the team’s 30 games, he has scored in double figures 22 times and reached at least 15 points in 12 of those games. In 2025-26, Dixon-Waters led the team in scoring 11 times, rebounds five times, and assists twice.
Davis is the leader of the No. 2 ranked scoring bench in the nation, the second leading scorer on the team, and earns his first Mountain West postseason honor. He leads the team in free throws (82) and free throw attempts (94). He is second on the squad in points (326) and steals (30) and ranks third in free throw percentage (.872), 3-pointers (36), 3-point attempts (91), field goals (104), field goal attempts (236) and minutes (660). In the season finale against UNLV, he scored 30 points, the first 30-point game by an Aztec since Jaedon LeDee had 32 vs. UAB in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 22, 2024 and is the sixth different Aztec to score at least 30 points in a game in the Brian Dutcher era.
Overall, among Mountain West players, Davis, a junior, is No. 4 in free throw percentage and on a national stage, his 87.2 percent free throw shooting ranks No. 55. Playing in all the team’s 30 games, he has scored in double figures 15 times and reached at least 15 points in nine games, at least 20 three times and 30 once. This year, Davis led the team in scoring seven times, rebounds four times, and assists six.
On Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. PT at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev., San Diego State, the 2-seed in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament, plays the winner of the 7-seed Colorado State versus 10-seed Fresno State game.