Playing some bonus basketball
LATROBE — Bobby Swartwout will graduate from Saint Vincent College with a business management degree in less than two weeks.
His basketball career has already moved on.
The Butler graduate is playing for the Steel City Yellow Jackets, a Pittsburgh-based franchise in the American Basketball Association.
“We sent out letters to every college in the region offering their graduating players a chance to try out,” Yellow Jackets owner/coach Ace Pippens said. “Bobby took advantage of an opportunity and made our team.”
The ABA is a step below the NBA’s Developmental League. It has 65 teams nationwide and Steel City plays in the Chesapeake Division with four other teams.
Games are played on weekends and the team practices each Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Monroeville. Home games are played at the Obama Academy in Pittsburgh.
The ABA season began in October. The team plays 25 regular season games.
“It gets a little busy with school and everything,” Swartwout admitted. “But the practice and game schedules are conducive to my class schedule, so I’ve been able to make it work.
“I love this. I hope to be able to keep doing it.”
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Swartwout is the backup power forward behind 6-7 Lawrence Baker. Swartwout averaged nine points and seven rebounds per game for Saint Vincent last season as the Bearcats repeated as Presidents’ Athletic Conference champions.
His college basketball eligibility expired at the end of last season.
“I received an invitation to try out for this team and figured I had nothing to lose,” Swartwout said. “I showed up for a workout, was invited back for a second tryout and offered a spot on the roster.”
ABA players are paid monthly. The Yellow Jackets have 14 players on their roster. Approximately 30 try out every year.
“It’s a good league with a lot of good players,” Pippens said. “We have a guy on our team from Detroit, Alabama, West Virginia ... I’m working on bringing a 6-11 player in from outside the country.
“Bobby gets up and down the court extremely well for his size. He knows how to position his body and he’s great on the boards.”
Swartwout said he averages 10 minutes per game, but played 28 minutes Sunday and was named the Yellowjackets’ Player of the Game.
When his week of classes ends, Swartwout boards a bus with his Steel City teammates for road trips to Reading, Washington D.C., Kalamazoo, Mich., etc.
Games are generally played on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
“We usually fill the gym wherever we’re at for Saturday night games,” Swartwout said. “Sunday games aren’t as well attended. It’s tough to compete against the Steelers and the NFL.”
Swartwout is in the process of interviewing for jobs. He’s hoping to stay in the Pittsburgh area — and continue paying for the Yellow Jackets.
“There are guys on this team in their third or fourth year,” he said. “I’d love to stay with this. I’ll go wherever work takes me, but if I can still play here? I’m in.”
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