The former Longhorn has made his intentions clear at the NBA Draft Combine.
Former Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain has announced that he plans to stay in the 2026 NBA Draft process after a solid showing in this week's combine in Chicago.
Swain's breakout year in Austin, where his 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game guided the Horns to a Sweet 16 berth, now profiles him as a potential first-round draft pick.
According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Swain has "two feet in" to the process. Borzello has him mocked to the No. 26 pick in the June 23 first round.
After competing in the combine, prospects have the opportunity to return to college but unenrolling to the draft, where they would then enter the transfer portal or return to their college.
As lucrative and fast-moving as the portal is, however, most teams begin to move on once their player enters the draft or the portal (or both). It's simply too risky to hope a player returns without working in the portal to fill his potential spot if he ultimately leaves.
Swain's measurements in Chicago this week tell the story of why he's taking his career into the professional ranks.
The former Xavier transfer and SEC Newcomer of the Year this year was listed at 6-6.5 without shoes and possessed a noteworthy 6-10 wingspan. At 211 pounds, he can fill out his frame to better handle the NBA's physicality, but his skills are expected to translate easily.
"I think I'll be pretty comfortable," Swain said about likely playing off the ball as a shooting guard or small forward.
"Like, my first two years in college was more off the ball, being a really good cutter, having a good feel for the game ... I think with the improved shooting, how I've improved every single year in college with that, I'll be able to impact more off the ball at the next level, for sure."
In his lone season with the Longhorns, Swain shot 54 percent from the field, routinely showing that he knows how to finish at the rim and rise up from his spots in the midrange. Though he's never been known as a knock-down 3-point shooter, the improvements, as he mentioned, are drastic.
He shot under 20 percent in limited opportunities as a freshman. In Year 2 at Xavier, he rose to 25 percent on less shot attempts, then at Texas hit 34.4 percent of his triples on over two and a half attempts a night.
Overall, he aims to bring a well-rounded repertoire that impacts winning.
"Honestly, just being able to play team ball, play together with players from all across the country, just building chemistry in one day," Swain said about what his game provides.
"Definitely athleticism, defensive versatility, being able to grab the ball on the defensive rebound, push it up the court, make plays for myself and others."
