https://cubuffs.com/news/2018/6/22/womens-basketball-swartz-ready-to-add-scoring-to-cu-lineup.aspx
BOULDER – The University of Colorado women's basketball team was standing in a circle at half-court on Feb. 5, 2017, wrapping up its normal shootaround practice in the morning before a game vs. Washington later that day in the CU Events Center. But this huddle would not be a normal one and would turn out to be a memorable one. Cameron Swartz, then a junior at Fellowship Christian High School in Georgia and on a recruiting visit, asked to say a word to the team at the conclusion of the huddle.
"We all held hands and I said 'I think I'm ready to be a Buff,' Swartz said. "The whole team starting yelling, cheering, and picking me up. It was a really good moment."
"The first time she came to visit, she loved it," CU head coach JR Payne said. "I think she knew in some regards that this was what she wanted, but then she visited Michigan and Georgia, which are great schools, and she had a bunch of home visits. She kept us stewing a long time. There was a long time where we didn't know if we were going to get her, even though we felt it would be a perfect fit, and we thought she did too. Her family was great, and her grandparents came out and it was all really wonderful. To have her commit on the stretching circle, holding hands with her future teammates was a pretty special moment. I don't know if I have had an experience of a player commit like that."
Swartz was the first piece to CU's 2018 recruiting class, one that looks even stronger now as the team added four more players to the group.
Though she admittedly played a relatively low level of competition in the private Class A in Georgia, Swartz's high school numbers are impressive for any level. She led the entire state in scoring this past winter, averaging 32.1 points, while grabbing 8.5 rebounds, to go with 4.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game. She also shot 47 percent from the floor.
In many ways, she was her high school team. Fellowship Christian was able to field a girls basketball team because players joined the squad from other sports teams, some having very little basketball experience.
"Not a lot of girls really played basketball as their main sport," Swartz admitted. "But I'm glad that they came out and we were able to have a team."
As a senior, Swartz scored nearly two-thirds of her team's points. In a season-opening win, she had 45 of the team's points in a 57-49 win over Pinecrest Academy. She bested her school record later in the year with 46 points in a 62-58 win over Walker on Jan. 19. Swartz was able to carry the team to a 13-10 record in her final prep season.
Despite playing at a lower level of high school basketball, Payne believes Swartz can contribute right away in the Pac-12 and is one of the more advanced high school players she's recruited; Swartz also stood out on the AAU circuit.
ESPN's recruiting bio had this to say from a scout at the Battle-in-the-'boro tournament in July 2016: "Off-guard delivers off screens, delivers with deep range game; more than a long distance scorer with sonar, adept off the dribble, mid-range game threat; a superb jump shooter in the class of 2018."
Payne sees some similarities in Swartz's offensive game to some of the top players in the nation, specifically Oregon All-American Sabrina Ionescu.
"She has an offensive confidence and swagger like (Oregon guard) Sabrina Ionescu," Payne said. "They are not necessarily the same player, but they have a similar mindset offensively.
"From a basketball standpoint, we loved her offensive prowess. There are not many players at that age who can truly score on all three levels. You might find a knockdown shooter, but they might not have a mid-range game, or are really soft at the basket. Cam was one of the few that we saw in this class that truly can score on all three levels. She has unlimited range, a beautiful mid-range game, and is strong enough to finish at the basket. Her confidence offensively is super fun to watch. You would watch some of her games and she would absolutely dominate and would be unapologetic about it...I'm making sound like she's got this big ego, but she doesn't. She's kind of quiet and polite. She just knows she's good on the basketball court and I love that."
Her ability to shoot the ball should help her earn playing time immediately.
"Cam's ability to consistently shoot the ball is different than what we have," Payne said. "We do have players who can shoot the ball, but as far as a 'shooter,' that can have really deep range, it will be nice to add another player like that to our already strong backcourt."
While Swartz possesses the ability to compete in the Pac-12 right away, she will have the luxury have not needing to be being rushed into the lineup on Day 1. CU returns all three of its starting backcourt players from last season in Quinessa Caylao-Do, Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson. Leonard and Robinson have already established themselves as All-Pac-12 caliber players, and Caylao-Do finished her sophomore season strong in 2017-18.
Swartz has been able to look up to those three players to help her adjust to the college. She graduated high school early enough this spring to enroll in Term A of summer classes and has been easing her way into college academics.
"Lex and Q have helped a lot," Swartz said. "They ask if I need anything, and they have taken me out to lunch. Peyton [Carter] took me out to dinner and Kennedy has made sure everything is going well. It is really nice to have them to check up on me, and show me around."
It has also been an adjustment moving away from home for the first time in her life.
"I am really close with my family," Swartz said. "My stepdad really helped me with my basketball and got me to where I am. My mom is an amazing woman and she means everything to me and has really influenced me as she was a single mom for a while. I am also really close with my six brothers. We text and call a lot. Having six brothers, everyone always tells me how I must be tough. They are really tough on me, but they also always have my back. They have helped me get to where I am. We are one big, happy family."
As someone close with her family, CU was a natural fit as the Buffs instill a family atmosphere with their program.
"I really love the coaches. They are great people and very family-oriented. I feel like the program is rebuilding and I really want to be part of the class that comes in and sets a new story."
She has already set goals for the next four years of her life in Boulder. She wants to make the NCAA Tournament and win a Pac-12 championship. Both would be important steps in a rebuilding program as CU is looking for its first-ever Pac-12 championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
BOULDER – The University of Colorado women's basketball team was standing in a circle at half-court on Feb. 5, 2017, wrapping up its normal shootaround practice in the morning before a game vs. Washington later that day in the CU Events Center. But this huddle would not be a normal one and would turn out to be a memorable one. Cameron Swartz, then a junior at Fellowship Christian High School in Georgia and on a recruiting visit, asked to say a word to the team at the conclusion of the huddle.
"We all held hands and I said 'I think I'm ready to be a Buff,' Swartz said. "The whole team starting yelling, cheering, and picking me up. It was a really good moment."
"The first time she came to visit, she loved it," CU head coach JR Payne said. "I think she knew in some regards that this was what she wanted, but then she visited Michigan and Georgia, which are great schools, and she had a bunch of home visits. She kept us stewing a long time. There was a long time where we didn't know if we were going to get her, even though we felt it would be a perfect fit, and we thought she did too. Her family was great, and her grandparents came out and it was all really wonderful. To have her commit on the stretching circle, holding hands with her future teammates was a pretty special moment. I don't know if I have had an experience of a player commit like that."
Swartz was the first piece to CU's 2018 recruiting class, one that looks even stronger now as the team added four more players to the group.
Though she admittedly played a relatively low level of competition in the private Class A in Georgia, Swartz's high school numbers are impressive for any level. She led the entire state in scoring this past winter, averaging 32.1 points, while grabbing 8.5 rebounds, to go with 4.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game. She also shot 47 percent from the floor.
In many ways, she was her high school team. Fellowship Christian was able to field a girls basketball team because players joined the squad from other sports teams, some having very little basketball experience.
"Not a lot of girls really played basketball as their main sport," Swartz admitted. "But I'm glad that they came out and we were able to have a team."
As a senior, Swartz scored nearly two-thirds of her team's points. In a season-opening win, she had 45 of the team's points in a 57-49 win over Pinecrest Academy. She bested her school record later in the year with 46 points in a 62-58 win over Walker on Jan. 19. Swartz was able to carry the team to a 13-10 record in her final prep season.
Despite playing at a lower level of high school basketball, Payne believes Swartz can contribute right away in the Pac-12 and is one of the more advanced high school players she's recruited; Swartz also stood out on the AAU circuit.
ESPN's recruiting bio had this to say from a scout at the Battle-in-the-'boro tournament in July 2016: "Off-guard delivers off screens, delivers with deep range game; more than a long distance scorer with sonar, adept off the dribble, mid-range game threat; a superb jump shooter in the class of 2018."
Payne sees some similarities in Swartz's offensive game to some of the top players in the nation, specifically Oregon All-American Sabrina Ionescu.
"She has an offensive confidence and swagger like (Oregon guard) Sabrina Ionescu," Payne said. "They are not necessarily the same player, but they have a similar mindset offensively.
"From a basketball standpoint, we loved her offensive prowess. There are not many players at that age who can truly score on all three levels. You might find a knockdown shooter, but they might not have a mid-range game, or are really soft at the basket. Cam was one of the few that we saw in this class that truly can score on all three levels. She has unlimited range, a beautiful mid-range game, and is strong enough to finish at the basket. Her confidence offensively is super fun to watch. You would watch some of her games and she would absolutely dominate and would be unapologetic about it...I'm making sound like she's got this big ego, but she doesn't. She's kind of quiet and polite. She just knows she's good on the basketball court and I love that."
Her ability to shoot the ball should help her earn playing time immediately.
"Cam's ability to consistently shoot the ball is different than what we have," Payne said. "We do have players who can shoot the ball, but as far as a 'shooter,' that can have really deep range, it will be nice to add another player like that to our already strong backcourt."
While Swartz possesses the ability to compete in the Pac-12 right away, she will have the luxury have not needing to be being rushed into the lineup on Day 1. CU returns all three of its starting backcourt players from last season in Quinessa Caylao-Do, Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson. Leonard and Robinson have already established themselves as All-Pac-12 caliber players, and Caylao-Do finished her sophomore season strong in 2017-18.
Swartz has been able to look up to those three players to help her adjust to the college. She graduated high school early enough this spring to enroll in Term A of summer classes and has been easing her way into college academics.
"Lex and Q have helped a lot," Swartz said. "They ask if I need anything, and they have taken me out to lunch. Peyton [Carter] took me out to dinner and Kennedy has made sure everything is going well. It is really nice to have them to check up on me, and show me around."
It has also been an adjustment moving away from home for the first time in her life.
"I am really close with my family," Swartz said. "My stepdad really helped me with my basketball and got me to where I am. My mom is an amazing woman and she means everything to me and has really influenced me as she was a single mom for a while. I am also really close with my six brothers. We text and call a lot. Having six brothers, everyone always tells me how I must be tough. They are really tough on me, but they also always have my back. They have helped me get to where I am. We are one big, happy family."
As someone close with her family, CU was a natural fit as the Buffs instill a family atmosphere with their program.
"I really love the coaches. They are great people and very family-oriented. I feel like the program is rebuilding and I really want to be part of the class that comes in and sets a new story."
She has already set goals for the next four years of her life in Boulder. She wants to make the NCAA Tournament and win a Pac-12 championship. Both would be important steps in a rebuilding program as CU is looking for its first-ever Pac-12 championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.