A Closer Look: Cole Swider

By Craig Leighton
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Updated: October 11, 2016

Friarbasketball.com will take a closer look at a number of key PC recruiting targets throughout the season. Our staff will continue to provide reports on the top Friar targets throughout the year, and provide updates on prospects that have been previously featured.

Prospect: Cole Swider

Position: SF/PF

School: St. Andrew’s School (RI)

AAU Program: BABC

Class: 2018

Overview:

Rhode Island native Cole Swider is rapidly becoming one of the top small forward prospects nationally in the class of 2018. He currently plays for St. Andrew’s in Barrington, RI under coach Mike Hart.

At 6’8 Swider has a deadly outside shot and projects to be a player who can play both forward spots at next level. What could separate him as a face-up four is that he also has good athletic ability.

Here are some highlights of Swider in action:

Swider has a chance to be the next great player to come out of Rhode Island. Here is an article that the Providence Journal recently did on Swider.

First Hand Impressions:

At last June’s PC Elite Camp Swider showed why he may be one of the next New England players to “blow up” in national recruiting circles. He runs the court very well for someone 6’8, and for an outside shooter he has the physical size and desire to mix it up inside. Swider has a high basketball IQ and showed great court awareness on the floor.

Here is another look at Swider showing off his many skills:

What Others are Saying:

24/7 Sports currently ranks Swider 70th nationally in the Class of 2018 and has him listed as the 15th best power forward in his class.

Rivals notes, “Swider is a mobile big man who can really shoot it and plays very hard.” They currently have him ranked as the 98th best player nationally in the 2018 class.

Scout says “Swider is a 6-foot-7 wing/forward that is a dead-eye shooter with tons of range.”

The New England Recruiting Report writes “Swider may be the most improved sophomore in New England within the last year. Arguably the best shooter in the entire class, it also doesn’t hurt that he’s grown another three inches since this time last year and become smoother and more fluid in the process.” NERR ranks Swider the fourth best player in New England in the Class of 2018.

The Competition:

Besides the Friars, other teams showing interest in Swider are Boston College, Xavier, Rhode Island, Creighton, and DePaul. Look for interest to pick up from high major schools as more programs see him this season.

The Bottom Line:

Swider is going to wind up being a consensus top 100 player nationally by the time he is through with his high school career. Ed Cooley and the rest of the PC coaching staff are expected to recruit the native Rhode Islander very hard over the next year. The Friars have not had huge success recruiting New England prep players over the past couple of years, and are going to be looking to reverse that trend starting with Swider.

See Him Live:

Local PC fans will have several opportunities to see Swider play this season. All of his home games will be played at St. Andrew’s in Barrington, RI (their schedule should be out soon). Two major prep school tournaments will also be played at St. Andrew’s during December.

In addition St. Andrew’s will be playing two games in the National Prep School Invitational this January at Rhode Island College.

Mix-Tape Time:

Here are some more highlight tapes of Swider in action: