Texas forward Dailyn Swain has declared for the NBA Draft, he announced on Instagram.
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Swain made no mention of this being a final decision. Inside Texas anticipates he will maintain the ability to return to college. The NBA Combine is in mid-May and players have until May 27 to determine whether they will stay in the draft or return to college.
“Cincinnati to Austin… what a ride,” Swain wrote in his draft declaration. “The journey has been everything I dreamed of and more. Xavier built me — it was home. Texas elevated me and made it feel like home too. Wearing a Xavier uniform taught me how to compete at the highest level. Putting on burnt orange took it even further.
“This March was special. I’m grateful for every moment and every battle with my brothers. To Coach (Sean) Miller, Coach (Ryan) Cohen, and the staff — thank you for believing in me. To my agent — thank you for always having my back and your guidance. To my family — everything I do is for you. With gratitude for the journey and excitement for what’s next, I am declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.”
This season, Swain as a second-team All-SEC selection and was the SEC Newcomer of the Year. In 36 games for Texas, he averaged 17.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg. He shot 54% from the field, 34% from three, and 81% from the line.
In recent weeks, Swain had been receiving some late-round mention in mock drafts. Now, he’ll get to test his skills against other NBA talent at the combine and in the pre-draft process.
Texas won’t let up in trying to get him back, but the Swain took the logical next step in his process by declaring on Monday.
The roster at a glance
Out of eligibility (6)
G Tramon Mark: 14.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.8 apg
G Jordan Pope: 13.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg
G Chendall Weaver: 5.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 apg
F Lassina Traore: 3.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.6 apg
F Cole Bott (Walk-on): 0.5 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.2 apg
G Brandon Taylor (Walk-on): 0.8 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.0 apg
Eligible to return (9)
F Dailyn Swain: 17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.6 apg
G Camden Heide: 5.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
G Simeon Wilcher: 5.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.7 apg
C Matas Vokietaitis: 15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.6 apg
F Nic Codie: 4.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.8 apg
F Declan Duru: 1.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.0 apg
G Anthon McDermott: 0.9 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.3 apg
The 2026 class (4)