Derek Swartz has been a highly efficient shot-maker from virtually anywhere on the floor, consistently scoring through contact and heavy contests while displaying phenomenal body control and touch. He showed the ability to create and convert difficult shot attempts without allowing physicality to disrupt his rhythm. Swartz also played with an extremely high motor, relentlessly chasing down loose balls, consistently pursuing 50/50 plays, and showing a willingness to be the first player on the floor in pursuit of extra possessions.

I wasn’t sure how Swartz, who’s only a sophomore, would acclimate to varsity level 3SSB play after a winter season dominating New Hampshire public school basketball, but he’s already up to speed and playing great hoops. He has shown the ability to score from all three levels; he can isolate and get to his spots in the mid range or at the paint, but he can also make threes and has a knack for scoring on cuts to the rim. He has size, strength, and athleticism, and he’s extremely versatile on both ends as a result. Swartz and the Rivals list him as a combo-guard, but I think they’re selling him a bit short in terms of his ability to play the wing or even forward position given his size and length. Swartz will play high level D1 hoops, especially since early signs of him playing up have been quite promising.

Swartz, a sophomore out of Portsmouth, was named the NHBCO D-I Player of the Year after averaging 17.6 points per game this winter, good for 7th in D-I. One of the top players in the country in the class of 2028, Swartz is a 6’5″ guard that leaves his fingerprints all over the game. He does a terrific job of rebounding out of the guard spot, is a versatile three-level scorer, and can also operate as a primary initiator in the half-court. He plays with strength as a driver, isn’t afraid to take over games as a scorer, and shows a high level of versatility on the defensive end of the floor. There’s not another player in the state who could fill up a box score in the way that Swartz could this winter.

Swartz, a sophomore wing out of Portsmouth High School, was a breakout star of the summer in New England. He’s coming off of a freshman season in which he averaged 17.3 points per game and filled up the box score night in and night out. He’s a big, strong prospect that makes plays with or without the ball and shows an instinct to take over games when he needs to. He has a good feel for making decisions in the half-court, knows how to play at different speeds, and does a great job of playing through contact as a driver and scorer. He does a great job of playing hard on the other end of the floor and is one of the region’s best rebounding guards.