Florida State University Athletics
Florida State’s AJ Swinton Finds His Rhythm In ACC Play
1/30/2026 11:23:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE – Florida State sophomore AJ Swinton played 23 minutes, scored six points, pulled down four rebounds, and earned one steal in the Seminoles' 63-61 win over Cal on Wednesday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
He made two very important 3-point shots within 90 seconds of each other in the first half as he scored six straight points for the Seminoles. Both of his made 3-point shots helped stop a Golden Bear run which saw the visitors go from an 8-6 disadvantage to a 14-10 advantage in just over two minutes of playing time.
Swinton's first 3-point shot brought the Seminoles to within one point at 14-13. His second 3-point shot gave the Seminoles a 16-14 lead. His pair of back-to-back 3-point shots ignited a 26-9 run over the final 11:13 of the first half which carried Florida State to a commanding 36-23 halftime lead.
It's that type of performance that Luke Loucks and his coaching staff are expecting from Swinton for the remainder of the 2025-26 season which continues Saturday against Stanford at 6:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network with Anish Shroff and Terence Oglesby on the call.
Jeff Culhane and Adrian Crawford have the radio call on the Seminole Sports Network and on Facebook Live on Florida State Men's Basketball Facebook page. Check out the Courtside Cam Broadcast on the FSU MBB Facebook and X pages, the Seminoles YouTube Channel, and on the Seminoles Unconquered app.
Saturday's game against Stanford is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game. Fans can pick up cancer awareness ribbons and signs to display who you suit up for at the marketing tables in the concourse.
Swinton's performance in the Seminoles' 63-61 win over Cal and his recent outings against Wake Forest, Miami, and at SMU have shown only glimpses of the sophomore's talent.
"AJ has done an unbelievable job recently off the court which has led to his increasing minutes and production," said Loucks following the Seminoles' win over Cal. "Now you see the seeds turning into a flower because now he's handling his business off of the court and that has led to him getting minutes."
Swinton enjoyed a very productive outing against Cal and has seen his minutes and his production increase since the start of ACC play.
Through the first 17 games of his sophomore season, he has earned more blocked shots (6-2) and steals (17 -2) while scoring nearly as many points (78-74) and pulling down nearly as many rebounds (38-32), as he did in 32 games as a freshman.
He's averaging 19 minutes played, 4.3 points, and 2.8 rebounds in the last four games. He has played 16 or more minutes in each game, totaled six points against both Wake Forest and Cal, totaled four rebounds against both Wake Forest and Cal, and earned two steals in Florida State's victory over Miami (January 20).
"I just had to realign my priorities and get back to what matters," said Swinton.
The person he was affecting the most was the one person he wanted to effect the least.
His mom, Danielle, who survived a battle with blood cancer.
"Getting centered made me think about the people who've been there for me. My mom's been through her own fight, and she still shows up with love and belief. I want to honor that in how I live and how I play."
Swinton has done exactly that.
Since the heart of conference play began in early January, Swinton has played his best basketball in his two years as a Seminole.
Against Cal, he earned 23 minutes of playing time and contributed six points, four rebounds, and one steal in Florida State's victory. He was as important with six points, four rebounds and one steal against Wake Forest. Swinton scored five important points in the Seminoles' victory at Miami. Against the Hurricanes, Swinton scored a first half 3-point basket to pull the Seminoles into a tie after trailing early on the road in ACC play.
As important as Swinton earning his way onto the court is for the Seminoles, the trust he has gained from the coaching staff to put him on the court in late game situations is equally so.
Florida State has taken its last four games to the final buzzer as it led Wake Forest with 2:30 left to play (64-61), led Miami with 2:30 remaining (61-58), trailed SMU by just two with 2:30 left (74-72), and led Cal (62-60) with 2:30 remaining before the final buzzers of each of those games.
Swinton was on the court in the final minute of the Seminoles' games against Wake Forest, Miami, and Cal.
"AJ is so long, he's so athletic, he's a great defender, and he's got great instincts," said Loucks. "He can get things done for us defensively by rebounding with his size, and his switch-ability. I'm really pleased with AJ's progression."
And with the second half of ACC play approaching, Swinton's rhythm is arriving at just the right moment.
He made two very important 3-point shots within 90 seconds of each other in the first half as he scored six straight points for the Seminoles. Both of his made 3-point shots helped stop a Golden Bear run which saw the visitors go from an 8-6 disadvantage to a 14-10 advantage in just over two minutes of playing time.
Swinton's first 3-point shot brought the Seminoles to within one point at 14-13. His second 3-point shot gave the Seminoles a 16-14 lead. His pair of back-to-back 3-point shots ignited a 26-9 run over the final 11:13 of the first half which carried Florida State to a commanding 36-23 halftime lead.
It's that type of performance that Luke Loucks and his coaching staff are expecting from Swinton for the remainder of the 2025-26 season which continues Saturday against Stanford at 6:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network with Anish Shroff and Terence Oglesby on the call.
Jeff Culhane and Adrian Crawford have the radio call on the Seminole Sports Network and on Facebook Live on Florida State Men's Basketball Facebook page. Check out the Courtside Cam Broadcast on the FSU MBB Facebook and X pages, the Seminoles YouTube Channel, and on the Seminoles Unconquered app.
Saturday's game against Stanford is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game. Fans can pick up cancer awareness ribbons and signs to display who you suit up for at the marketing tables in the concourse.
Swinton's performance in the Seminoles' 63-61 win over Cal and his recent outings against Wake Forest, Miami, and at SMU have shown only glimpses of the sophomore's talent.
"AJ has done an unbelievable job recently off the court which has led to his increasing minutes and production," said Loucks following the Seminoles' win over Cal. "Now you see the seeds turning into a flower because now he's handling his business off of the court and that has led to him getting minutes."
Swinton enjoyed a very productive outing against Cal and has seen his minutes and his production increase since the start of ACC play.
Through the first 17 games of his sophomore season, he has earned more blocked shots (6-2) and steals (17 -2) while scoring nearly as many points (78-74) and pulling down nearly as many rebounds (38-32), as he did in 32 games as a freshman.
He's averaging 19 minutes played, 4.3 points, and 2.8 rebounds in the last four games. He has played 16 or more minutes in each game, totaled six points against both Wake Forest and Cal, totaled four rebounds against both Wake Forest and Cal, and earned two steals in Florida State's victory over Miami (January 20).
"I just had to realign my priorities and get back to what matters," said Swinton.
The person he was affecting the most was the one person he wanted to effect the least.
His mom, Danielle, who survived a battle with blood cancer.
"Getting centered made me think about the people who've been there for me. My mom's been through her own fight, and she still shows up with love and belief. I want to honor that in how I live and how I play."
Swinton has done exactly that.
Since the heart of conference play began in early January, Swinton has played his best basketball in his two years as a Seminole.
Against Cal, he earned 23 minutes of playing time and contributed six points, four rebounds, and one steal in Florida State's victory. He was as important with six points, four rebounds and one steal against Wake Forest. Swinton scored five important points in the Seminoles' victory at Miami. Against the Hurricanes, Swinton scored a first half 3-point basket to pull the Seminoles into a tie after trailing early on the road in ACC play.
As important as Swinton earning his way onto the court is for the Seminoles, the trust he has gained from the coaching staff to put him on the court in late game situations is equally so.
Florida State has taken its last four games to the final buzzer as it led Wake Forest with 2:30 left to play (64-61), led Miami with 2:30 remaining (61-58), trailed SMU by just two with 2:30 left (74-72), and led Cal (62-60) with 2:30 remaining before the final buzzers of each of those games.
Swinton was on the court in the final minute of the Seminoles' games against Wake Forest, Miami, and Cal.
"AJ is so long, he's so athletic, he's a great defender, and he's got great instincts," said Loucks. "He can get things done for us defensively by rebounding with his size, and his switch-ability. I'm really pleased with AJ's progression."
And with the second half of ACC play approaching, Swinton's rhythm is arriving at just the right moment.
Players Mentioned
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