UCSB gets transfer Stephan Swenson from Stetson

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Stephan Swenson will go from Daytona Beach to Campus Point.

The 6'2 senior guard is leaving Stetson University in Florida for UC Santa Barbara where he will be a graduate transfer for the Gauchos.

He visited UCSB on Friday, April 12 and was impressed with the school and basketball program.

"Just learned on how great a school it is," began Swenson in a Zoom interview with KEYT Sports Director Mike Klan. "Top 5 public school(Forbes Magazine 2023) and just how amazing the basketball part is but having that degree right next to my name will change everything."

Swenson led Stetson to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance this past season.

"Just the best note i could have ever ended as a senior and from there I said its time for a new chapter but forever grateful to Stetson," said Swenson.

The Hatters lost 91-52 in the first round to back-to-back NCAA Champion UConn but Swenson scored a game-high 20 points against the Huskies.

He averaged 13.9 ppg and 5.8 assists last season at Stetson.

Swenson is from Belgium just like UCSB star Ajay Mitchell who is likely leaving the Gauchos in pursuit of playing in the NBA.

Mitchell and Swenson competed against each other in youth tournaments in Belgium and Ajay shared his Gauchos experience with the incoming transfer.

"He told me how great the staff is, how great the people are in the community" Stetson said of his conversation with Ajay. "He kind of gave me the inside voice of what the program is really about and once I took my visit and met the coaching staff I was like this is the spot."

Swenson graduates Stetson on May 10 and then he will be ready to come west and play one season for the Gauchos.