Two years ago, Dailyn Swain was a true freshman at Xavier and was named to the Big East All-Freshman team. Fast forward two years, and Swain has received a new honor on a new team in a new conference.
Following his head coach, Sean Miller, from Xavier to Texas, Swain committed to play for the Longhorns just under a year ago. Now, he has been named as the SEC Newcomer of the Year, and it was undeniably his award to lose.
Through the regular season, Swain led the Horns in nearly every measurable stat, scoring the most points, dishing out the most assists, coming down with the most rebounds, and snagging the most steals per game.
Dailyn Swain named SEC Newcomer of the Year
It's hard to argue that the Horns would be where they are right now (a bubble team in the NCAA Tournament) without Swain on the roster, and more specifically, in the starting lineup.
Swain averaged 17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and even 0.3 blocks per game while leading Texas to its 18-13 overall record and 10th-place finish in the highly competitive SEC.
🏀 2026 #SECMBB Newcomer of the Year
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 9, 2026
🤘 Dailyn Swain, @TexasMBB https://t.co/tq6EzGAClS | #ItJustMeansMore pic.twitter.com/3BRVVKnGHe
No, the Longhorns weren't exactly a dominant force to deal with this season. However, they pulled off some miraculous upsets, especially in conference play, and those were due in large part to Swain's efforts.
His stats this season are almost entirely career bests, excluding blocks per game. To put it lightly, his growth under Miller and since coming to Austin has been indisputable.
Up next, Swain and the rest of the Texas squad are set to tip off in the SEC Tournament, where they earned a No. 10 seed and will face the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels in the first round. While they're currently a bubble team in Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, a deep run in the conference tournament could cement their place in the Big Dance.