JUCO forward Freddie McSwain joins IU’s 2016 recruiting class

  • 04/24/2016 6:32 pm in

Indiana’s 2016 recruiting class now has a fifth member.

Class of 2016 Neosho County Community College (Kan.) forward Freddie McSwain announced for the Hoosiers in a ceremony on Sunday night. McSwain picked Indiana over Kansas State.

“I’d like to thank Kansas State for everything,” McSwain said. “But I’m going to Indiana.”

In an interview with Inside the Hall prior to his announcement, McSwain cited player development as a major reason for his interest in the program.

“What stands out to me about Indiana is the player development,” he said. “I worked out with them and saw a lot of things that were new to me, that I hadn’t seen before. Coach (Tom) Crean saw a lot of things that I needed to work on in my game and I like that.”

Indiana offered McSwain a scholarship on Tuesday, March 29 and hosted him for an official visit from April 18-20. The 6-foot-6 forward joins De’Ron Davis, Curtis Jones, Devonte Green and Grant Gelon in the 2016 recruiting class.

In his second season at Neosho, McSwain averaged more than 14 points and eight rebounds per game and shot 54.2 percent from the field as the Panthers finished 30-6.

Neosho’s season ended on March 16 in the second round of the National Junior College Athlete Association national tournament in Hutchinson (Kan.) with a 73-72 loss to Gillete College. McSwain had a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds in that contest.

McSwain said that Indiana began to show heavy interest in him right around the time of the national tournament.

A native of Hinesville, Georgia, McSwain was named the Region VI tournament MVP and was also named first team All-KJCC and first team All-region.

In a 66-58 upset win over Hutchinson (Kan.) in the Region VI final on March 3, McSwain scored a game-high 17 points, including 12 in the second half.

In addition to Indiana and Kansas State, he also had offers from Auburn, Bradley, Illinois State, Marquette, UNLV and several others, according to his profile on 247Sports.

The addition of McSwain brings Indiana to 13 scholarship players on paper, assuming junior forward Troy Williams remains in the NBA draft.

Williams, who is expected to graduate in May, announced his intentions to enter the draft earlier this month, but has not hired an agent, which leaves him the option to return for his senior season. He was in Texas over the weekend working out with John Lucas and is expected to be among the players invited to next month’s NBA draft combine in Chicago.

McSwain joins Thomas Bryant, De’Ron Davis, Juwan Morgan, Collin Hartman and OG Anunoby in what should be a deep and versatile frontcourt next winter in Bloomington.

Several preseason top 25’s have Indiana in the top 15 and the addition of McSwain should add elite athleticism and depth to the roster.

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