Dailyn Swain's dominant scoring and all-around game have transformed Texas basketball. Discover how this transfer became an SEC force and an NBA prospect.
Daily Swain has been a revelation for Texas men's basketball this season.
The junior transfer from Columbus, Ohio, is averaging 17.9 points per game, and also leads the Longhorns in rebounds, assists and steals.
Swain's first two seasons in college were at Xavier under head coach Sean Miller, making his transition to Texas a bit smoother.
But no one could've predicted a breakout campaign of this magnitude.
In his sophomore season as a Musketeer, Swain averaged 11 PPG, a big jump from 4.6 in the prior season. However, he continued to struggle with outside shooting, making it hard to envision a path where his ceiling is raised much higher.
But those struggles haven't stopped him from becoming one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference.
"He's highly intelligent. He's not just a smart basketball player, he's a smart student," Miller said about Swain on Tuesday. "He can solve problems, he figures things out, and he's really accepted coaching, accountability. He's bought into, really everything that we've tried to encourage him to work towards."
One of those things he's worked towards is getting bigger and stronger.
Miller said Swain was 176 pounds when he was a freshman at Xavier. Now, he's listed at 225 pounds, an almost 50-pound difference.
And that strength gain has helped him become one of the most dominant paint scorers in the nation.
Swain is arguably the best isolation player in college basketball, ranking first in isolation points per possession, averaging over 1.6 points. Most of his damage comes from inside the arc, recording an incredible 72.7% on two-pointers, demonstrating his ability to create great looks around the basket.
His reliance on short-range, high percentage shots has also made him a dependable player in crunch time when the Longhorns need a bucket.
Swain is the heart and soul of Texas men's basketball this season. A lot of the Longhorns postseason fate will rely on him continuing to put the team on his back.
"You think about all of the statistical categories that he touches, I don't know if there's a player in the SEC that means more to their respective team than Dailyn Swain means to Texas," Miller said.
Naturally, his success at the collegiate level is now leading to attention from NBA scouts.
Swain is widely regarded as a potential first-round pick in next year's NBA Draft, and his stock has the potential to rise if he can make some noise in March Madness.
With Tre Johnson being one-and-done in college, it was unknown if the Longhorns would have a player that can step up to be their true No. 1 option.
Swain has done that and more.