Syracuse Basketball: Villanova transfer Cole Swider would be huge pick-up

Syracuse basketball has already lost one of its 2020-21 forwards to the transfer portal in redshirt sophomore Robert Braswell, and more could follow him, so the fact that the Orange is reportedly showing interest in Villanova transfer Cole Swider is monumentally encouraging.

The 6-foot-9 Swider, a junior forward with terrific range from beyond the arc, revealed via Twitter that he is entering his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal.

A variety of media articles and tweets from recruiting insiders note that among the teams which have reached out regarding Swider is the ‘Cuse.

Swider was a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class whom the 247Sports Composite ranked No. 44 nationally and No. 9 at power forward in this cycle.

Swider, who attended the St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I., ultimately chose the Wildcats over a group of finalists that included Syracuse basketball, Duke and Xavier. Prior to trimming his list, Swider held a ton of high-major offers.

Syracuse basketball is displaying interest in former 2018 target Cole Swider.

If you want to have a look at Swider’s statistics over three stanzas at Villanova, check out his bio on the ESPN Web site. In his junior term that recently concluded, Swider suited up in 25 games for the Wildcats, averaging 18.9 minutes, 5.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest.

Swider also connected on 42.6 percent from the field, 75.0 percent from the charity stripe and 40.2 percent from 3-point land. Villanova, by the way, captured recent national championships in 2016 and 2018.

Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI, writes in an article that ‘Cuse coaches have reached out to Swider, and there is mutual interest, according to Mike Hart, Swider’s former head coach at the St. Andrew’s School.

Things could move quickly in Swider’s recruitment, as McAllister’s story, per Hart, says that the former Villanova forward “wants to wrap up his transfer recruitment within a week.”

At the forward position for Syracuse basketball, Braswell has entered into the transfer portal, and sophomore Quincy Guerrier is testing the NBA Draft process, although Guerrier could return to the Hill.

There are a lot of rumblings online – pure speculation, at least for now – that forwards Alan Griffin, a junior, and Woody Newton, a freshman, could potentially depart.

And we also have to see what senior power forward/center Marek Dolezaj plans to do. He has the option to return for another campaign due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

It’s quite possible that the Orange is going to lose another forward (or more than one), so if the ‘Cuse can secure Swider, that would prove big-time.

Based on the NCAA giving college basketball players an extra season of eligibility amid the pandemic, and a measure expected to pass soon where all student-athletes can transfer once with immediate eligibility, Swider should have two years of eligibility left and could play right away with his new squad.