Indiana Grabs a Commitment from JUCO Freddie McSwain Jr
By Edward Koton
Indiana will now be adding a fifth member to its recruiting class this fall, and it will be doing so in the most savage way possible.
I was fully prepared to write a simple article about Freddie McSwain Jr.’s commitment to IU, the potential role he may have, and what his commitment means to IU’s scholarship numbers moving forward. Fortunately, something more pertinent has arisen that must be addressed regarding Mr. McSwain before diving into all the normal stuff.
Freddie McSwain Jr., you sir have officially won my heart. With the void left by the departure of Harrison Niego, I am genuinely appreciative of your timing and value to this program. Now, what warrants this sentiment?
Ladies and Gentleman,
It appears that we may have another SAVAGE on our hands.
For, Freddie McSwain Jr. not only committed to Indiana University, but he completly “curved” (as the millennials say these days) Kansas State.
With over 2,500 anxious fans watching his decision live on periscope, and with only two hats on the table in front of him, Mr.McSwain went full savage. When the time had come to make his decision, McSwain happily picked up the Kansas State University hat, appropriately thanked them for their recruitment, and then he confidently created a moment in which I will never forget.
“Thanks to K-State for everything they have done for me, but I’m going to Indiana.”
Oh Mr. McSwain, you are going to fit perfectly here at Indiana.
As I had made note of earlier on this season, Tom Crean has become much of a savage himself, and now it appears he is recruiting more of his kind to fill up the needs of this program.
Indiana offered McSwain a scholarship on March 29th and hosted him for an official visit this past weekend. The 6-6 forward will now be joining De’Ron Davis, Curtis Jones, Devonte Green and Grant Gelon in the 2016 recruiting class that offers Indiana a remarkable amount of potential.
Freddie McSwain Jr. is not like many other Junior College products. Not only does he have an astoundingly cool sounding name, but he is also very much a late bloomer.
McSwain’s original focus was centered around football in high school, and he did not seek out basketball until sophomore year.
For that reason, the recent standout garnered plenty of attention in the past few months as we saw Indiana beat out 24 others schools that gave him scholarship offers. This includes Marquette, UNLV, Auburn, Illinois State, Memphis, and the recently curved Kansas State.
This past season McSwain averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. In addition to those stats, McSwain has really been known for his exemplary rebounding and athleticism.
McSwain had a strong interest in IU because of their precedent for developing players and their overall history of success as a program.
With McSwain’s commitment, IU can now undoubtedly boast one of the best frontcourts in the country. McSwain will be joining a frontcourt that includes Thomas Bryant, De’ron Davis, Juwan Morgan, Collin Hartman and OG Anunoby. With that said, we could be seeing a bit of a shift in style of play out of these Hoosiers, with an increased focus on frontcourt play.
The only downer to this whole commitment is the increased likelihood that we have seen the last of Troy Williams in an Indiana uniform. Freddie McSwain Jr. will be taking Indiana’s 13th and final scholarship, leaving no room for a Williams return. Troy recently announced his intent to enter the NBA Draft Combine without an agent, and current projections have him as a borderline first round pick.
Either way, McSwain is a crucial addition to this Indiana basketball team. Expect to see him play a similar role to OG Anunoby, attacking the boards for offensive rebounds, and playing tight perimeter defense.
Oh, and also continuing to be a SAVAGE.