Is Texas Longhorns Star Dailyn Swain a Lottery Pick?

The Texas Longhorns were this March's biggest Cinderella story, largely due to the efforts of junior forward Dailyn Swain.

The former Xavier Musketeer dispatched Texas from last year's First Four before following his head coach, Sean Miller, to the 40 Acres and leading the Longhorns to the Sweet Sixteen.

Now, Texas' leading man is faced with the decision of whether or not he will declare for the NBA Draft. If he does turn pro, just how high will he get drafted?

The Good

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain shoots against BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

It is difficult to overstate how important Swain was to Texas this year. He led the Longhorns in points, assists, rebounds, steals and minutes played.

He is an outlier ball-handler at his height of 6'8, creating advantages even when he loses the strength, speed or positioning battle. He uses unique ankle and knee flexion to find creases and angles most wings simply can not.

you never see 6'8 wings toy with guard defenders like dailyn swain did to purdue in the sweet 16. a one of a kind dribbler at his height pic.twitter.com/qnDd78KIp4
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf_) March 28, 2026

His ball-handling prowess carries over to the pick-and-roll game, where he is both dangerous as a driver and a capable passer.

Once Swain gets past the first defender, he either finishes at the rim with a developed layup package or spins off and scores over the top with his soft touch.

He has plus length and is a defensive playmaker, especially when playing passing lanes.

Swain improved greatly as a shooter in 2025, going from shooting 25% from deep as a sophomore to 34.4% as a senior.

He shows flashes as a cutter and reads drives from his teammates well.

He is also deceptively young. Despite already having three full seasons of college basketball under his belt, he will not turn 21 until after the draft.

The Bad

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

While Swain made plays on defense, he was not always an effective defender. He spent far too many possessions disengaged off-ball and struggles to cut off drivers on-ball.

On offense, Swain can be detrimental to the flow of the offense when off-ball. He is slow to read the floor or shoot the ball off the catch, instead opting to take his defenders off the dribble.

He improved as a shooter but is a non-factor as a catch-and-shoot threat, allowing defenders to sag off of him and rotate to other Longhorns.

Swain lacks an elite first-step or overhwelming strength, making his projection as a non-shooting playmaking wing more difficult.

While he can be dangerous in the full-court, he often plays out of control, leading to turnovers.

Swain has an overall healthy shot diet but shoots more contested two-pointers than the NBA calls for. He can also be over-reliant on his cross-overs to create separation and get downhill.

Final Notes

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain celebrates after a play against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Dailyn Swain is a playmaking wing on both sides of the floor who will need to improve as an off-ball player and shooter if he wants to make the most of his unique self-creation toolkit. His efficiency and creativity as a slaher will get him a role on NBA squads and allow him to develop his other skills.

Final Grade: Late Lottery

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