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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Miami landed its first commitment in the 2024 class on Tuesday, with ESPN 100 guard Austin Swartz picking the Hurricanes.
Swartz committed to Miami over Clemson, while Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, UConn and Virginia Tech were also in his final list of eight.
“I believe Miami and coach [Jim] Larranaga can help reach my goal of making the NBA,” Swartz told ESPN. “They have had success with guards who can shoot and score, recently with Isaiah Wong, who has the same type of size and frame as me. They had Shane Larkin, who could really shoot it deep.
“They play a five-out offense and allow their guards to make decisions and play in space. They also play a lot of pick-and-roll. It all fits what I am looking for.”
Swartz’s relationship with Larranaga was key in his ultimate decision.
“They laid out a plan for me and I feel coach L is a player’s coach,” he said. “He is fun to be around and gives off good vibes. Speaking with the players, they said he is in your corner, both in the good and bad times. He helps his players through their tough times. He tries to build confidence in his players. That’s important to me.”
A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Cannon School (North Carolina), Swartz is ranked No. 51 overall in the ESPN 100 for the 2024 class. He slots in as the No. 9 shooting guard and was recently included among the top 10 shooters in the country.
On the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer, Swartz averaged 18.9 points over the course of 22 games, including seven games of 25 or more points.
He demonstrates the ability to make deep 3s from a variety of actions, including stationary shots, off-ball movements and finding open pockets of space with the ball in his hands. Swartz is very dangerous in ball-screens because he can step behind the screen and knock it down or find the open man. His assist to turnover ratio needs work, but he has very good vision and accuracy when making the right decision. His specialty is running to the arc in transition and he’s capable of creating space in the half-court to get his shot off.
“Austin is an incredible shot-maker from all levels at all angles,” Cannon School coach Che Roth said. “He also creates for his teammates with his high-level passing. He’s a fantastic leader while staying grounded and working to improve every day.”
Swartz is Miami’s first ESPN 100 commitment since the 2022 class — and the first since the Hurricanes’ Final Four run last season. Larranaga and his staff are still heavily involved for five-star guard Jalil Bethea, although Kansas has most of the momentum in that recruitment, while ESPN 100 prospects Khani Rooths are also among the program’s targets.