Georgia guard Zac Swansey transfers to Golden Eagles
Zac Swansey, a regular in the University of Georgia lineup the past two seasons, will transfer to Tennessee Tech to wrap up his basketball career for the Golden Eagles.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Zac Swansey, a regular in the
University of Georgia lineup the past two seasons, will transfer to
Tennessee Tech to wrap up his basketball career for the Golden
Eagles, TTU coach Mike Sutton announced this week.
Swansey, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Dunwoody, Ga., will sit out
the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules and have two seasons
of eligibility remaining.
“Tech had recruited me out of high school, and I had built a
great relationship with coach Sutton, coach (Steve) Payne and coach
(Russ) Willemsen,” Swansey said. “As soon as I
announced I was leaving Georgia, those guys called. Coach Sutton
has been around the game a long time, and I know I can continue to
develop my game under him.”
Lauded for his court savvy and point guard skills, he ran the
Bulldogs offense during his two seasons in Athens, leading the team
to the NCAA Tournament as a freshman.
“We had recruited Zac out of high school,” said
Sutton. “We watched him play during high school and with the
Georgia Stars AAU, and we did an in-home visit. We were one of
several schools recruiting him.
“Once he decided to make a change from Georgia, we invited
him on campus and he liked what he saw,” Sutton said.
“I think it will work out well for him, and well for us. We
have three returning guards who will be seniors, so after he sits
out one year and has a year to practice and learn our system, we
think he’ll be ready to step right in and lead our
team.”
Swansey is the latest transfer to come to Tech and the previous
transfers have enjoyed tremendous success. Previous transfers
include Willie Jenkins from UMass, an OVC Player of the Year and
two-time first-team all-OVC selection, Damien Kinloch from South
Carolina, an OVC Newcomer of the Year and two-time first-team
all-OVC pick, Belton Rivers from East Carolina, and another
first-team all-OVC pick, and Derek Stribling from Tennessee.
“Transfers have been a key to our successful teams,”
Sutton said. “Each of them has graduated and gone on to a
professional career.”
“We think Zac has the potential to be an all-conference
player like many of our other transfers,” Sutton said.
During his freshman season at Georgia, Swansey handed out a
career-high 10 assists in his first collegiate game, a victory over
OVC member Jacksonville State. He scored his career-high of 12
points against Hawaii, a number he matched twice more.
He became a more familiar name to Bulldog fans as the hero in
Georgia’s SEC Tournament win over Kentucky in 2007 when he
scored twice in the final 1:55, including the game-winning
turnaround 3-pointer with one second to play to propel the Bulldogs
into the NCAA Tournament.
As a sophomore, he played in 31 of the team’s 32 games
including 17 in the starting lineup. He averaged 20 minutes per
game, scoring 4.3 points per game. His 89 assists ranked second on
the team, and he was also second on the squad in steals with
35.
He was a first-team all-state selection as a senior at Dunwoody
High School, averaging 19.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.4 steals and 3.1
rebounds per game. As a junior, he helped Dunwoody to its second
straight Class 3A state title while averaging 19.2 points and 6.3
assists. Swansey played his first two prep seasons at Flowery
Branch High School.
“Zac played a huge part in our success at Dunwoody High
School, and that included four Final Fours and two state
championships,” said coach Scott Bracco. “He played a
major role for us. He can score, there’s no doubt about that,
but the most important thing about Zac is that he gets everyone
involved. He makes everyone around him better.”
Bracco also had high praise for Swansey’s character.
“He’s unbelievable. He’s one of the best kids
I’ve ever been around or coached. He will be successful in
anything he does.”
For his four-year high school career, he scored 2,368 total points
and helped his team to the state playoffs all four years.
Swansey says his biggest contribution to the Golden Eagle program
will be his ability to lead.
“My strength is my leadership qualities. That’s what
I’ll try to bring to practice every day,” he said.
“I want to work hard and bring out the best in myself and my
teammates.”
Sutton likes the skills Swansey will bring to the backcourt.
“Zac is a very tough, hard-nosed basketball player who can
create opportunities, not only for himself but for other
players,” Sutton said. “He’s a great kid who
wants to be a part of something special, and someone we can count
on right away. He has experience in big arenas against big
opponents, and he’ll really fit in well here. We expect him
to have a huge impact on our backcourt.”
“This year he will really help us in practice,” Sutton
said. “This lets him work further on his game and play
against our guys. And, our guys get to work against him. It helps
everyone.”
Swansey was a teammate of current Golden Eagles Frank Davis and
Bassey Inameti during his years with the Georgia Stars AAU
team.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back together
with Frank and Bassey,” Swansey said. “We’re
looking forward to finishing our college careers
together.”
Their AAU coach, Troy Vincent, has good things to say about his
former point guard.
“Zac was an incredible leader and a great kid,”
Vincent said. “He’s bringing a wealth of experience and
leadership to Tennessee Tech. That’s what he meant for us. He
brought a calming presence to our team.
“He’s also a leader off the court, too,” Vincent
said. “The guys really looked up to him and respected
him.”
Swansey is also familiar with November TTU signee Terrell
Barnes.
“I played with Terrell’s brother, Chris, at
Georgia,” Swansey said. “I got to know Terrell through
that. I already had a good relationship with the coaches and I know
a few guys on the team, and that made my decision easier and will
make it that much better when I get there.”
Swansey will join a Golden Eagle roster that has already added
four signees for the 2009-10 season. Those newcomers include
Terrell Barnes and Jud Dillard from Riverdale (Ga.) High School,
Livingston (Tenn.) Academy standout guard Chase Dunn, and Mineral
Area Community College forward Byron Pickens from Chicago.
