4-star AJ Swinton talks official visits; updates recruiting
AJ Swinton is the No. 86 player in the 2024 On3 Consensus. The 6-foot-6 wing transferred this season to play at Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy in the NIBC League.
“I’m a really good transition player,” Swinton told On3. “I’m working on bringing the ball up, getting my team into the offense right now. I am a good catch-and-shoot three-point shooter and take pride in defense. I watch a lot of Demar Derozan, his mid-range game, and how he can attack from the post.”
The four-star scored 0.792 points per possession this summer with Team Takeover on Nike’s EYBL 16u Circuit. He shot 46.1 effective field goal percentage in his 21 games. On3 caught up with AJ Swinton after a recent live viewing to talk visits and his recruitment.
“I just took my first official visit to Virginia Tech,” Swinton said. “I’m trying to set an official to Ohio State. I talk a lot with Penn State and Pitt too.”
Swinton talks recruitment
Virginia Tech: “They were one of my first offers. It’s like family there. You know Coach (Mike) Jones, he was my old coach at Dematha, but also Coach (Kevin) Giltner and Coach (Mike) Young. They basically run the same sets we run at Oak Hill, but there are different reads. The way they play in transition if you can get it up and out fast, that is how they like to play. They also take a lot of pride on defense, like me. They could be a good fit.”
Ohio State: “The campus there is amazing. It’s a football school, and they got 60,000 kids who go there. The NIL opportunities would be out there. The way they play, we call it point-five; if you don’t pass or shoot it in that time, you got to get off of it. I like the way they play.”
Penn State: “They have reached out to me so much. I feel like they are showing so much interest in me I haven’t been able to set up a visit yet. I want to see what they have. They have a young coaching staff over there, so I feel like they’ve clicked really well with me.”
Pittsburgh: “They have a young coaching staff as well. I haven’t heard from them as much as I want to, but they solidify themselves on defense.”
“I heard from Texas a little bit and Miami; they haven’t offered yet,” Swinton said.
In Swinton’s words
“I want to go to a school that trusts me,” Swinton said. “A place that will let me do me, and if I make a mistake, I won’t have to be looking over at the bench to see if someone is coming to get me right away. The family piece is really big for me too.
“I’m a versatile player. I’ve played in the post a lot growing up, and I feel like I can show myself a lot on the wing too. I want to go to a school that is going to be able to use me with my versatility, my length, and my athleticism.”