Syracuse Basketball: Cole Swider, Benny Williams forward duo is stellar

Syracuse basketball may have missed on talented forward Cole Swider when he was coming out of high school, but the Orange has picked him up now, at the perfect time, nonetheless, with other ‘Cuse players entering into the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Swider, a junior who only recently said that he would transfer from Villanova, revealed on Saturday night via Twitter that he is committing to the Orange. Naturally, a flood of Syracuse basketball fanatics, myself included, are totally jazzed about this development.

The ‘Cuse has already lost one forward to the transfer portal, redshirt sophomore forward Robert Braswell, and sophomore Quincy Guerrier is testing the NBA Draft waters.

Questions remain unanswered about other forwards on the Syracuse basketball roster, including senior Marek Dolezaj, junior Alan Griffin and freshman Woody Newton. Another freshman forward, Chaz Owens, is expected to return.

So for Syracuse basketball coaches to scoop up Swider at this juncture is monumentally important. At 6-foot-9, Swider has the potential to be a real disruptor in the 2-3 zone, and he is exceptional at shooting from beyond the arc.

The possibility of Swider teaming up at the ‘Cuse forward spot with 2021 commit Benny Williams is truly tantalizing. The 6-foot-8 Williams, a five-star prospect from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is one of the highest-rated recruits for the Orange in recent program history.

Syracuse basketball has secured a difference-maker in Villanova transfer Cole Swider.

Now, it’s way too early to have much of a clue as to whether either Swider, Williams, or both of them, may start next season for head coach Jim Boeheim. We simply don’t know what other current players may stay or depart, and if the team is bringing in others from the transfer portal.

Furthermore, I get that in the upcoming campaign, both Swider and Williams will be newbies to the Syracuse basketball squad. But the potential of them both in the zone defense, as well as on offense, is exciting to ponder.

Swider and Williams will, hopefully, help to stretch the floor for sophomore point guard Joe Girard III and junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim. Simultaneously, Swider and Williams are more than capable of knocking down their own shots, attacking the lane and getting to the charity stripe.

Seriously, a 6-foot-8 Williams and a 6-foot-9 Swider, each really athletic? Yes, please. Looking at things from the opposite side, neither of these players is terribly bruising down low, but that’s often an issue for the ‘Cuse.

Braswell, freshman combo guard Kadary Richmond and redshirt freshman center John Bol Ajak are in the transfer portal. Guerrier could be gone. Others may follow.

But credit the Syracuse basketball coaching staff for moving quickly to add Swider and Marquette transfer Symir Torrence, an excellent point guard who hails from Central New York.

In limited minutes during the 2020-21 stanza for the Wildcats, Swider connected on about 40 percent from deep. He will have two years of eligibility left and should be able to play right away on the Hill.

As a top-50 prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, Swider attended the St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I., and ultimately picked Villanova over the ‘Cuse, Duke and Xavier. Fast-forward a few terms, and Swider is joining Syracuse basketball – better late than never.