Four-Star SG Austin Swartz trims list to 8 schools

Concord (N.C.) Cannon School four-star shooting guard Austin Swartz is down to eight schools, he tells On3. Moving forward, the 6-foot-5, 180-pound rising senior will consider Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Miami, Notre Dame, UConn, and Virginia Tech.

Along with his final eight schools, he also received offers from Tennessee, Pitt, USC, Penn State, Texas A&M, Maryland, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, South Carolina, and others.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Swartz is the No. 37 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle. He’s also the No. 9 shooting guard prospect and the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3’s evaluators are slightly higher on Swartz, ranking him 28th overall in the class.

Swartz schedules six official visits

According to new NCAA rules, recruits are no longer limited to five official visits during their junior year and five fresh ones their senior year.

With that being said, Austin Swartz has scheduled six official visits.

• Indiana: August 18-20
• Miami: August 25-27
• Georgia: September 1-3
• Florida State: September 8-10
• UConn: September 18-22
• Virginia Tech: September 29-October 1

Swartz has already taken official visits to Clemson and Tennessee, however, the ‘Vols are no longer being considered. Georgia and Virginia Tech have each hosted him on unofficial visits.

Swartz talks programs involved

In a previous interview with On3, Austin Swartz discussed several of the schools recruiting him.

Clemson: “The chemistry between the teammates stood out for me. That was great to be around, and that is something that I want to be around. That was really the biggest thing, but also being around Coach (Brad) Brownell. This was my first time really being around him and hanging out with him a little bit. They’re all cool people who enjoy being around each other. It’s like one big happy family there.

UConn: “I talk a lot with Coach (Kimani) Young. He’s been the one recruiting me the most so far. It’s a brotherhood there; everyone wants to play together. They preach about the best shot and not the first shot, and I was able to see that all throughout the NCAA Tournament. They moved the ball. And then Jordan Hawkins, how he plays, and what they did with him.

Indiana: “Coach (Kenya) Hunter, I’ve been talking with him a lot lately. They do well with North Carolina people; look at Jalen Hood-Schifino. I know we aren’t exactly the same as players, but look what they did with him. They think I can shoot the ball at a high level, and they want me to come in and be the next one they develop for the draft. Coach (Mike) Woodson does a great job getting people ready for the NBA.”

Georgia: “Coach (Akeem) Miskdeen has been recruiting me for over a year. It’s been great getting to know him. We have a great relationship, probably one of the best relationships I have with a coach. He’s been on me, talking to my family. He’s almost like a big brother; he’s getting close to that. Coach (Mike) White has been great. We’ve been able to talk a lot about guards and what he’s been able to do with developing his guards.

Florida State: “Coach (Steve) Smith started talking with me a lot around this same time last year. I watch a game or two of theirs this year; it was tough for them because they had so many people hurt, and they weren’t really able to play how they wanted to. They love transition threes there, and that is something I do very well. Coach says they work their guards and shooters off pin-down screens and play out of ball screens a lot. They think I can do combo guard things for them.”

What he’s looking for in a program

“I’m going to be looking closely at the chemistry of the program. How the players interact with each other, and how the players talk and communicate with the coach.

“How does the coach react to his plays when the player doesn’t do something right? Is the coach a screamer, or does he communicate with you and encourage you? I’ve played with both types before. I also want to look at how the coaches develop their guards.

“Also, I want to see how they use their guards. Do they give their guards the freedom and trust to make plays, or do they have their guards go to specific spots and make specific reads? Those are really the biggest things for me, well, that and making sure my parents like the spot and are on board.”

Scouting Report

Austin Swartz is a shot-making guard. At 6-5, he has solid length and great positional size. Swartz is more athletic than he may give off, getting high above the rim in transition. Swartz is a good stand-still shooter with good balance. Where he really excels is creating space off the bounce. His ability to get a clean look when guarded in the half-court is a real weapon. Swartz will need to continue adding weight. While he is a score-first guard, he is a capable passer and sees the floor well. He has the upside as a defender, but there has traditionally been an inconsistent effort on that end. He has a good handle and could play some combo guard at the next level. Playing up on the UAA Next 17u Circuit this summer, Swartz averaged 2.8 threes made per game and 14.1 points. His dad, Paul Swartz, played D2 basketball. – On3’s Jamie Shaw