Dan MohrmannWednesday night, Feb. 10, 2016.
University of Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle walked into the gym at Sand Creek High School. D’Shawn Schwartz and the rest of the Scorpions were warming up for a big league game against Falcon.
Boyle found a spot near the gym door and sat down with his back against the wall. At least one other Pac-12 scout was in attendance, hoping to to get read on what Schwartz, a junior at the time, could give to its program.
“I’m not here to scout,” Boyle said then. “I know what D’Shawn can do. My scouting him ended a while ago.”
Boyle just wanted Schwartz to know he was loved.
By the time the game was over, Schwartz had scored 31 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. The Scorpions won the game 92-65.
Boyle stood up to leave, but caught Schwartz’s eyes right before he walked out of the gym and raised his fist in the air.
The entire night, not a word was exchanged between player and soon-to-be coach.
But Boyle had gotten his message across: Got your back.
Exactly seven months later, Schwartz sent Boyle a response. In a YouTube video last weekend, the senior for the Scorpions committed to the Buffs and affirmed to his coach that the support is now officially a two-way street.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“Tad has been there the whole time,” Schwartz said of his recruitment. “He’s been very consistent with recruiting. We’ve built a really good relationship since I want to say my sophomore year.”
And since that time, Boulder has only grown more appealing to Schwartz.
He was never pressured by his friends or family to stay close to home. He was able to sit back, analyze everything in front of him and make the decision that was going to be in his the best interest of his future.
“The type of person I am is just a perfect fit for Boulder,” Schwartz said. “Tad is a very academic-first guy and he really wants me to be great. And being close to home will always be good.”
He thinks that his parents were secretly hoping he would feel that way.
For CU basketball, it’s becoming quite common to heavily recruit the top players in the state and draw them to play their college basketball on the same floor where they can win a Class 4A or 5A state basketball.
In 2012, Lewis-Palmer and its star forward Josh Scott came away with a 44-43 win over Sierra at the Coors Events Center. Sierra had its own highly-touted prospect in Wesley Gordon. Both players would go on to play for the Buffs.
In 2014, Denver East rolled to a 5A championship and was led by the stellar play of point guard Dom Collier. Collier is heading into his junior season under Tad Boyle.
And now, it’s Schwartz’s turn. He was touched by the faith that the entire coaching staff at Boulder had in him. In the late fall of 2017, Schwartz will suit up for the Buffs and look to help them become a powerhouse in the Pac 12.
But first, he has things he needs to take care of this year.
“Since I committed, it’s not going to get any easier,” Schwartz said. “You just have to work hard and try and get that gold ball. There are a lot of goals to complete.”