Colleges

Swann escaping past

The flashy, versatile FSU guard was on an ugly path before committing himself to a better life.

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published January 7, 2007

Florida State guard Isaiah Swann knows what could have been and where he could be now.

And thankfully is not.

One of his best friends from back home in Maryland, Quinton J. Thomas, was arrested about this time last year and charged with first-degree murder.

"When I found out, I was crushed," Swann said.

But he was also thankful.

He realizes he escaped the potential pitfalls of his crime-ridden neighborhood and is developing nicely on and off the basketball court for the Seminoles 12-3, 0-1 ACC, who play No. 2 North Carolina (13-1, 0-0) tonight in Chapel Hill.

"He knows I'm going to hold him accountable, and he's being accountable for everything we've asked him to do," coach Leonard Hamilton said. "He's doing his school work, he's on time, he's doing all the little things off the court and he's giving us positive body language. He's really, really progressing in the right direction."

Decision to sacrifice

As a sophomore at Magruder High, Swann was showing the dazzling skills of a big-time prospect. But he was also showing troubling signs. Academic woes cost him much of that season.

"Everybody told me I wasn't going to make it out of high school, my grades were terrible," he said.

Something had to change or he might not be playing basketball.

He might be in prison ... or worse.

"He was surrounded by some good kids who had made some bad choices," said his mother, Yvonne Grigsby. "One of the concerns you have as a parent is your child's choices and the consequences, good or bad, that comes with them. At some point you have to pull back and let them make their choices."

His had to do with staying, perhaps being coaxed into trouble, or leaving to attend Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

"I was young, but I had to make a decision," he said. "It was either stay there and end up in jail or on the corner selling drugs or leave and try to better myself. I just had to sacrifice. That's all it was. A big sacrifice."

He didn't want to leave his mom, (his father essentially was never around for him), his grandmother, Ethel Grigsby, sisters Brandy Grigsby and Morgan Turner or his older brother, Howard. (Howard was in jail for much of Isaiah's childhood, but at 38 has turned his life around and is a drug counselor.) He didn't want to leave his friends, either.

"He was at a crossroads," his mother said. "I thank God he was able to make a good choice."

Swann transferred and found the inner strength to take advantage of the opportunities that basketball seemingly would afford him. He ultimately finished his final prep year at Hargrave Military Academy as a fifth-year senior in 2004.

Had he not?

"I believe if I wasn't in college, I would have been right there, right next to him (Thomas) when that happened," Swann said. "That's just how close we were. That was my homeboy since middle school. We did everything together. I'm so glad God put me in the situation where I'm making it better for myself."

A new role

During his first two seasons at FSU, the 6-1, 203-pound Swann bounced between point guard and shooting guard, showing flashes of brilliance at both positions but consistency at neither.

You didn't need to look at the scoreboard to know when things would go awry for him; his smile would disappear, his head and confidence would drop with each shot and pass that didn't find the mark.

This season, sophomore Toney Douglas runs the point and junior Ralph Mims is his backup. Senior Al Thornton, an All-America candidate, Douglas and ever-improving junior guard Jason Rich are the leading scorers. Swann, a starter as the third guard in the perimeter-dominated lineup, is the guy who's doing a lot of the little things that don't make the highlight shows.

And he's doing it with a smile.

"I've never taken the back burner; I've always been the scorer. I've always been the go-to guy," he said. "But we've got guys who can make plays, so I'm cool with it. Whatever it takes for us to win. It's like coach says, if you want to get somewhere you've never been, you've got to do something you've never done."

He's averaging a modest 8.4 points, fourth on the team, but leads FSU in assists (49) and steals (29) and is fourth in rebounding (50, a 3.3 average).

"We all know he can score the ball, but he can do everything else," Thornton said, "and he's showing that."

"He's improved his defense, he's communicating with his teammates and he has been the main person who's been encouraging everyone to make the extra pass and make the easy plays," Hamilton added. "He had done a lot of maturing and he has a lot to do with the overall attitude of the team."

A mature attitude.

"I just thank God every day," Swann, 21, said. "I pray with my mom every day that everything works out because I've given up so much and I'm here."

[Last modified January 6, 2007, 23:42:04]