Player Profile: Brandi Swinton
By Tyler Daron
Knightly News Reporter
tyler.daron@mymail.centralpenn.edu
Brandi Swinton, a junior power forward for the Central Penn Knights, grew up in the Baltimore area and attended John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland.
Even though she is part of the Central Penn College women’s basketball team, Swinton wasn’t very interested in basketball growing up. But one day, when her friends were playing, she joined in and instantly fell in love with the sport.
When her parents saw how invested she was in basketball, they bought her some gear and signed her up for AAU basketball and different training sessions.
The AAU is the Amateur Athletic Union, with multiple locations around the United States, geared toward helping athletes improve their craft. The AAU is very popular because of the great NBA players who came through this program, such as Carmelo Anthony. He honed his skills while playing for the renowned AAU program, Mount Royal, in West Baltimore.
Swinton says her most memorable moment in high school basketball was receiving the MVP award for the John Carroll High School women’s basketball team in her senior season, which showed her that basketball was a worthy pursuit.
At the college level, Swinton says her most memorable moment was being part of the women’s team that made the United States Collegiate Athletic (USCAA) Small College National Championship Tournament in the 2022-23 season. While the Lady Knights did not win the national tournament that season, they are eager to make it again and “walk away with championship rings.”
One obstacle that Swinton has to face when playing basketball is shin splints. This is a common injury that many athletes deal with from time to time because of the stress they put on their bodies.
When asked who inspires her, Swinton says, “My mom inspires me in sports because she always wants the best for me. She never gave up on me when there were many times that she could have. Why should I give up on her when she loves to see me play basketball?”
Just as her mother wants the best for her, Swinton wants the best for her team. Swinton sees her role on the team as “a role model for the younger players,” helping in any way she can.
She continues, saying, “I need to show them that I will never give up on them when times get tough. I want to help lead my team to nationals and get a (championship) ring out of it.”
Her immediate aspirations are to be there for her teammates in any way she can and show that she can be a helper on and off the court. She also wants to take care of her responsibilities, such as going to class and turning in homework on time.
Swinton’s long-term aspiration is to go to the USCAA Small College National Championship Tournament and get a championship after winning the tournament before she graduates from Central Penn College.
This article is part of a series of player profiles featuring key players of our men’s and women’s basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by media-club co-advisers Professor Paul Miller and Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
