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When Cole Swider was a 14-year-old freshman at St. Andrew’s (R.I.) high school, he rode the public bus for 45 minutes to and from his school and his house 12 miles away in Portsmouth. 

His days started with wake-ups at 5:30 a.m. and ended when he got home around 8:30 p.m. There were early morning workouts and late-night, post-practice shootarounds. Practice was after school, but he’d go early to work out before school. His head coach, Mike Hart, once walked in on him doing agility drills with a speed ladder before 7 a.m. 

St. Andrew’s alumni include former Syracuse stars Demetris Nichols and Michael Carter-Williams, but Swider “was a little different” than his other players, Hart said. 

“He’s a really focused kid,” Hart said. “(Jim) Boeheim just got a kid who’s going to be there an hour before and stay an hour after. That’s how he is.”

Syracuse saw that type of determination years ago, when assistant coach Gerry McNamara led Swider’s recruitment the first time around. Swider, a premiere 3-point marksman in the 2018 class, chose Villanova over Syracuse.

The work ethic followed him to Nova, but the opportunities didn’t. Although his mindset on the game mirrored Jay Wright’s program, his offense-first playing style subverted him to a reserve role. The sharpshooter averaged 4.4 field goal attempts per game in his three seasons with the Wildcats.

When he noticed a logjam in Villanova’s frontcourt due to every player receiving an extra year of eligibility, he knew it was time for a change. McNamara called Swider as soon as he entered the transfer portal and handed the phone over to Boeheim. Now, Syracuse has a stretch-four that shot 40.2% from 3 for Villanova as a junior in 2020-21. 

“I honestly never thought I would transfer from Villanova, but at the end of the day, looking at the situation, I had Syracuse in the back of my mind when I entered the portal,” Swider said in an interview. “It just worked out perfectly. I thought it was meant to be.” 

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Swider was the 44th-ranked player in his high school class, per 247 Sports. He played in the Jordan Brand Classic and for USA Basketball on the Nike Hoop Summit, and he was viewed as one of the top shooters his age, alongside Jontay Porter and Joe Wieskamp. 

But at Villanova, he struggled to find a key role. The 6-foot-9 forward scored 5.7 points per game his junior year. He wasn’t “playing his game” for the past three years, Hart said. 

Despite never averaging 20 minutes per game at Villanova, Swider agonized over his decision to leave the program. Hart said over 50 programs inquired about him, but SU’s free-flowing offensive style — as well as its communications program — appealed to Swider. 

“At Syracuse, I feel like our values align perfectly when it comes to style of play and off the court,” Swider said. “So, in that sense, it was the perfect fit for me.” 

Swider’s more of a finisher than a creator. In limited minutes, he was still an efficient scorer — his 122.3 offensive rating was 70th in the nation, per KenPom. He improved defensively at Villanova, Hart said, though that’s not his strongest area.

Syracuse’s roster remains in flux. Guard Kadary Richmond and forwards Robert Braswell and John Bol Ajak are in the portal. Quincy Guerrier is testing the NBA Draft waters. Alan Griffin hasn’t publicly decided what’s next. The minutes will be there for Swider — “there’s holes in the team I think I could fill,” he said — whether he starts or comes off the bench. 

During Swider’s re-recruitment, Buddy Boeheim joined McNamara and his dad in pitching Swider. Buddy called and texted Swider to explain SU’s values. 

“It seems like a match made in heaven with our work ethic,” Swider said of Buddy. 

Along with his relationship with Buddy, Swider played against Joe Girard III several times in high school and on the AAU circuit. He also shared the court with incoming transfer Symir Torrence — both in high school, AAU and in Big East play. 

Swider is a player who wants to be coached, Hart said. His work ethic hasn’t wavered since the early morning Rhode Island buses, and Hart said he’s “thick skinned” when it comes to tough coaching, a trait that may be applicable at SU.

“I’m just excited to play for another legendary coach,” Swider said. “I never thought in my lifetime I would be able to play for two Hall of Fame coaches. It’s amazing, and I can’t wait to get up there and get started.”

Published on April 4, 2021 at 10:53 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman