City of Basketball Love

Ethan Miller (@ByEthanMiller)
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Cardinal O’Hara senior guard, Tip Swartz committed to Marywood University Monday morning. Swartz was deciding between other Division III schools such as Arcadia, Wilkes and Division II school, Wilmington University.

For Swartz, Marywood presented the best option.

“I really like Coach [Bob] Simmons, I think he’s a great coach,” Swartz said. “I also think the team has potential to do great things.

“Academically, it’s the best fit for me,” he added. “When I visited I could really see myself going there.”

Swartz had an up-and-down senior season, missing eight games with a toe injury as Cardinal O’Hara struggled to a 6-16 record with a young lineup. When he was healthy, however, he played well, averaging 16.0 ppg on the season to draw the attention of numerous Division III and even some D-II schools.

He credits that improvement and strong play to a good offseason regimen that had him prepared for his senior season, as well as a renewed focus on running the offense for a team that consisted of numerous freshman and sophomore contributors.

“During the off-season I worked really hard on everything, but my main focuses were ball handling, shooting, shooting off the dribble and getting stronger in general,” he said. “During the regular season, I focused more on my ball handling more than anything else. My main intention was to make plays for my teammates.”

Last season Marywood--a school of around 2,000 undergrads located in Scranton--finished 14-11 overall, with a 9-9 record in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play. They’re returning most of their major contributors, including leading scorers Shane Kellaher (13.5 ppg) and Connor Callejas (9.2 ppg) from a deep roster that had eight players average 5.0 ppg or higher.

Swartz knows he has to work extremely hard if he wants a sizeable role next year.

“There’s a lot that has to be done this offseason, but most importantly I think I need to get stronger and keep advancing my game to my true potential.”