SAN DIEGO _ The NCAA has mandated that basketball coaches cannot travel to see recruits and recruits cannot take campus visits through the end of May.
Terrell Gomez didn't need to. The 5-foot-8 junior guard has already been to San Diego State with CSUN (formerly Northridge) for a game at Viejas Arena two years ago.
"That was kind of like my visit," Gomez said. "The energy was crazy."
That, plus deep connections with Aztecs past and present, made the decision to spend his final college season on Montezuma Mesa relatively easy. Less than a week after entering the transfer portal and three days after trimming his list to four finalists, he called SDSU coach Brian Dutcher early Tuesday morning and committed. He made it public a few hours later on Twitter, picking the Aztecs ahead of Arkansas, Iowa State and Washington State.
Gomez is expected to be eligible immediately as a grad transfer, even though he's been at CSUN just three years. He spent a year after high school at Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles, taking nine units of transferable classes at East L.A. Community College. He has five classes during the spring semester, then needs two more during the first summer session to complete his degree.
Besides a graduate student, SDSU is getting one of the nation's premier perimeter marksmen _ able to use his quickness and quick release to get off his shot at 5-8. He already holds CSUN's school record for 3-point baskets with 293 while shooting 43.6% (he ranked eighth in Division I last season at 44 percent).
He also is remarkably efficient for a volume scorer, averaging 19.8 points last season on 14.8 shots. He led the nation in free-throw accuracy (109 of 115, or 94.8 percent) had a turnover rate lower than SDSU's Malachi Flynn.
Despite the countless headlines that often make markets feel riskier than they are, Colin Moore says to focus beyond the distractions.
Points and minutes weren't an issue for Gomez at CSUN. He ranks fourth on the school's scoring list at 1,637 and led the Big West at 37.1 minutes per game.
But winning was. The Matadors were 34-62 in his three seasons.
"Winning is important to me," Gomez said, "because if I didn't care about winning, I would have just stayed at Northridge and become the all-time leading scorer. I really want to just win at this point. That's why I try to stay efficient, because I want people to know that I'm not just out there playing the wrong way. I'm going to play the right way and I can do it while winning."
The Aztecs technically have one scholarship available for next season unless or until Flynn forgoes his senior year to turns pro. The priority appeared to be a post player to replace departing 6-10 seniors Yanni Wetzell and Nolan Narain, but that changed when a player of Gomez's statistical stature entered the portal.
Flynn hasn't declared for the NBA Draft (he has until April 26), but whether he'll stay or go did appear to factor into Gomez's decision. In fact, he sounds like he would prefer to play with Flynn.
"If he does come back, we'll be the best backcourt in the country," Gomez said. "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.
"But I'm going to let him make his own decision. I think it would be selfish of me to ask him to come back after having the crazy season he had and turn down money, you know? I would like to meet him and talk to him and talk to him about his experience, but I'll just leave it up to him about what he wants to do. If he came back, that would be great, but it would be selfish of me to ask him to."
The Aztecs are known to be pursuing a pair of bigs, one eligible immediately (7-3 Loyola Marymount grad transfer Mattias Markusson) and one who likely would have to sit out a season (6-10 Long Beach State freshman Joshua Morgan). If Flynn turns pro and/or someone else on the current roster leaves in the increasingly volatile world of college basketball, SDSU could have room for one and possibly both.
Gomez becomes the second guard from L.A. in as many years to come to SDSU as a grad transfer after three losing seasons at a West Coast program. KJ Feagin did it last season after averaging 17.5 points as a junior at Santa Clara.
Gomez also isn't the first guard from L.A. to transfer to SDSU from CSUN. Aqeel Quinn did it in 2012 and played on two NCAA Tournament teams, including one that won at Kansas and reached the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Gomez has known Quinn, who played with his brother, since he was 5. He's also close with SDSU all-time leading scorer Brandon Heath, who grew up just minutes away and is good friends with Pooh Jeter, who currently plays professionally in China and whom Gomez considers "my mentor."
Gomez played on an AAU team with Aztecs guard Adam Seiko and played against Matt Mitchell in the high school playoffs. And assistant coach Jay Morris, the lead recruiter for Gomez, has known him since high school. Familiarity, then, was a big factor.
So was the notion of team full of gym rats with chips on their shoulder, and the chance to grow his game defensively in much the same way Feagin did last season.
"I think San Diego State has the best culture in California," Gomez said. "I'm willing to sacrifice my body. This is a really good defensive team, so I have to start taking more charges, dive on the floor more, so I'm not the odd man out. Defense becomes contagious. I feel like I'll still be productive (offensively) but I'll have more pieces around me. I will definitely get more assists. I think people will find out how well I can pass."
The teamwork is already evident.
Gomez has worn No. 3 for his entire career, in honor of boyhood idol Brandon Jennings and because he shoots 3s. Sophomore forward Aguek Arop has worn 3 for SDSU but is switching to 33, his high school number, next season.
