Austin Swartz: Three thoughts on Miami's latest commitment

Jim Larranaga has Miami on the board for the 2024 class as On3’s No. 30 ranked player Austin Swartz commits to the Hurricanes.

This is Miami’s first commitment to the 2024 class. This is stacked on top of the three-man class, guards Kyshawn George and Paul Djobet, and center Michael Nwoko, that Miami brought in 2023. Miami will continue to push in this class as five-star SG Jalil Bethea has an official visit set along four-star wings Rakease Passmore, Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, and Khani Rooths, and PFs Nic Codie and Ryan Jones.

Let’s go through what Miami is getting in their latest commitment.

Who is Austin Swartz

Austin Swartz is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound wing and On3’s No. 7 ranked shooting guard in the 2024 On3 150. Swartz chose Miami over a final group that also included UConn, Georgia, Clemson, Florida State, Indiana, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame. Of his final group, Swartz took official visits to Miami and Clemson. He ultimately canceled visits with Indiana, Virginia Tech, UConn, and Florida State. 

The On3 four-star plays his high school ball at Concord (NC) Cannon School, where he averaged 23 points, leading his team to 28 wins and a spot in the North Carolina state playoffs. Swartz added 7.5 assists and shot 42 percent from three, earning Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-State honors.

“Playing on the Nike Circuit, it’s been great, but I’ve been able to showcase I’m more than just a shooter,” Swartz told On3. “You can’t be one-dimensional in college, and that has been the biggest thing I’ve been able to show. I watch a lot of Devin Booker; I think his game and mind have a lot of similarities. He likes to get into the mid-range. When shots aren’t falling, I know I can get to that mid-range and get to the free-throw line to start and get things going. The footwork and his ability to create space, that’s a lot of what I try to do.”

In 17 regular season games on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, Swartz averaged 21.0 points, good for third overall. He shot 37.2 percent from three on 8.1 attempts per game. 

What does he bring to Miami?

At the core of what Austin Swartz does on the floor, he is a scorer. A knock-down shooter with range that extends well beyond the three-point arc, he is comfortable knocking down shots off the bounce and off the catch. 

He is dangerous in the half-court with his ability to create space. He has a good handle in tight quarters but does a great job of using his body to get into his defender and his balance to elevate straight up to knock down shots at multiple levels. 

During his high school season, Swartz shot 42 percent from three on high volume. During Nike’s EYBL Circuit regular season, he shot 37.2 percent on high volume. He has the confidence you want in a scorer, but he also has consistently demonstrated the ability. An intriguing aspect of Swartz’s game is his court vision. 

While he is wired to score the ball and at his best when doing so, he also has excellent touch on his passes at multiple levels on the floor. While leading his high school team in scoring this season, Swartz played primarily on the ball. He averaged 7.5 assists per game while limiting the turnovers and getting his teammates involved. 

While the natural scoring ability is there, along with the court vision, natural explosion, and handle, Swartz will need to continue developing his frame. He is bouncy at the rim and has a sneaky quick twitch, but he will need to continue working on his base and his core. This will help in all aspects, including on the defensive side. 

How does Swartz fit into the lineup?

Watching Miami play over the past couple of seasons, you see Jim Larranaga give his guards the freedom to make plays. This is the type of system that Swartz works best in, a free-flowing quick-read type of offense. How early Swartz plays will be up to him. Opportunity will be there, but how quickly can he adapt to the speed and physicality of the game?

A look through Miami’s roster shows that each player on their team has eligibility remaining. However, at its core, no one on the roster can create shots as naturally as Swartz does. A look at where Miami has had their success, they put four guys on the floor who can create scoring opportunities. The fact the roster is guard-heavy plays into this style. Miami is still in on multiple players in the 2024 class to join Swartz, including four guards and wings, that all complement both Swartz and the style.

Miami has shown that, while they like to build through the high school ranks and develop their players, they will also dip into the transfer portal to fill games. It appears with Swartz at Miami, it will be up to Swartz with how quickly he gets on the floor.

Swartz on Miami

“My biggest takeaway from the visit was the coaching staff and how connected they all were,” Swartz told On3.

“Campus was great; it’s Miami; how can you not love it?” Swartz told CaneSport. “I love the players. The players are all connected, the coaching staff is connected, and everyone is on the same page with no confusion. That’s how you succeed, and that’s something I might want to be part of.”

“Just really the style of play. They play a five-out offense that I really like, and that benefits me, and I think that offense would make it a lot easier on me. Also, just Coach L (Larranaga) and the way he coaches. That’s something that I really like.”