Basketball player Devin Watson chose Mother’s Day to announce his decision where to transfer after two seasons at USF. It turned out to be the best Mother’s Day gift Dawn Watson could imagine.

Gone are the days of driving the 928-mile roundtrip to San Francisco to see her son play home games. Dawn and Malcolm Watson won’t have to leave the county now.

The 6-foot-1 point guard who averaged 20.3 points last season orally committed to San Diego State over Kansas, Cal and UNLV, unzipping his jacket to reveal an Aztecs T-shirt during a celebration with family and friends at an Oceanside restaurant decorated with red and black balloons. He’ll sit out next season, then have two to play.

“That’s why I did it on Mother’s Day,” Watson said by phone. “I love my mother so much. It’s wonderful to see her with that huge smile on her face.”


Many figured Watson would stay home for college after he began torching defenses for three years at Army-Navy Academy in Carlsbad and as a senior El Camino High, where he was named all-state after averaging 25 points and eight assists. He received dozens of offers but never got one from the Aztecs, a function of timing as much as personnel.

He initially committed to Oregon State in September of his senior year. Two months later, though, the Beavers signed point guard Gary Payton II – the son of Oregon State and NBA legend Gary Payton – and Watson was on the market again.

SDSU had already signed a point in Kevin Zabo, who would transfer out after his freshman season. Watson eventually settled on USF and coach Rex Walters.

“When I decommitted from Oregon State, I got kind of mad,” Watson said. “The timing just wasn’t right (with SDSU). But I knew God would work on it. I always had faith. I’m excited and happy I ended up there. I’m a homebody.”


Added his father, Malcolm: “Devin has always liked San Diego State. But the direction they were going in, they had their interest in other players. And when Devin went to San Francisco, he and Rex hit it off. There also was the opportunity to play immediately.”

Watson broke into the starting lineup midway through his freshman year and started 15 straight games, making the all-WCC freshman team.

Walters handed him the keys to the offense as a sophomore, and Watson responded by being first team all-WCC. He ranked third in the league (and 27th nationally) in scoring, fourth in minutes played (34.7), sixth in assists (4.9) and eighth in 3-pointers made (2.2). He had 18 games of 20 or more points and three of 30-plus, including 32 in an overtime loss against Gonzaga.

But Walters was fired after the season, and Watson said in an Twitter post that he “just felt it was important to move on to the next chapter of my life.” ESPN rated him the fourth-best transfer this spring who had yet to commit.


He gives the Aztecs, on paper at least, what might project as the most experienced and potent three-guard rotation on the West Coast when he becomes eligible in 2017-18. Mountain West freshman of the year Jeremy Hemsley will be a junior then, and all-conference guard Trey Kell a senior.

But if you figure there are 80 minutes per game for two guard spots, that computes to 27 minutes for three players. At 6-4, Hemsley is big enough to slide over to the 2-guard when he’s on the floor with Watson. There’s also the possibility of a three-guard offense as the college game, like the NBA, becomes more perimeter oriented.

“I feel Jeremy, Trey and I can play together,” Watson said. “It’s not just one guy to dominate the ball. We’re going to play off each other. It’s going to be fun.”

Watson visited SDSU last week and by all accounts it went well – well enough to cancel his visits elsewhere and announce his decision. NCAA rules preclude SDSU coaches from commenting until he signs a scholarship agreement, which he is expected to do in the next few days.


That gives the Aztecs one remaining scholarship next season, assuming junior-to-be Malik Pope returns after provisionally submitting his name for the NBA Draft (he has until May 25 to withdraw). Most likely they’ll use it on a big, preferably one that is eligible immediately.

The leading candidate is Washington State graduate transfer Valentine Izundu, who finally received his release to speak with SDSU and is expected to take an official recruiting visit there this week. The 6-10 center who averaged 2.2 blocks in just 15 minutes would fill a need for a rim protector after the loss of seniors Skylar Spencer and Angelo Chol. He graduated Saturday and, as such, does not have to sit out before playing his final season of eligibility.