On June 24, the Chicago Bulls selected Columbus native Dailyn Swain, an Africentric High School alum, with the 15th overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. It was the Bulls’ second pick of the night.
Swain, 20, spent this past season with the Texas Longhorns, following head coach Sean Miller, who departed Xavier after the Musketeers’ run to the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 211 pounds, Swain averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds during the 2026 season, scoring 15 points in Texas’ Sweet Sixteen loss to Purdue.
A four-star prospect and the No. 2 Ohio recruit out of high school, Swain juggled offers from Xavier, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas State and Ohio State before choosing to play for the Musketeers. He broke out in his sophomore season, averaging 11 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Swain was a dominant player in high school, helping Africentric win its first City League title in 2022. In 2023, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association named Swain the Division III Player of the Year, and Africentric reached the state’s Final Four. Swain left as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,509 points.
Swain is the first player from the central district in Ohio to be drafted by an NBA team since Caris LeVert in 2016, according to Zach Fleer of 270 Sports. Lavert was selected 20th overall.
Along with Swain, the Bulls took UNC standout Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus’ Dailyn Swain selected by Chicago Bulls in 2026 NBA Draft
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
