PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — It’s been a big year for Derek Swartz.
After a standout freshman season at Portsmouth last winter – helping the Clippers reach the NHIAA Division 1 semifinals – Swartz saw his stock soar. He joined Vin Pastore and Mass Rivals, playing a grade up on the program’s top 16U team, even earning some opportunities playing against top 17U clubs – and he excelled. It culminated in a star performance at the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships in Rock Hill, S.C., in July, when he averaged 19.2 points per game, including a monster 32-point performance. It led to high-major college offers from Georgetown and Oklahoma State.
“I absolutely fell in love with Derek Swartz when I watched him play,” Pastore told New England Basketball Journal in July. “Derek has the ability, and it’s unique, the innate ability to score the basketball. He’s going to be able to score, he gets his points. He’s going to be able to do that forever, it’s his talent to score. He has a great physical, adult, ready body now that as he matures, he’s going to be a powerful guy.”
At 15 years old, Swartz is already under the national spotlight. In October, 24/7 Sports debuted its first national rankings for the 2028 class, and Swartz cracked the list at No. 63. But his journey is still only beginning.
After No. 1 Portsmouth’s home-opening victory over No. 5 Bishop Guertin on Monday, Swartz took a few minutes to catch up with New England Basketball Journal. The conversation touched on his favorite moments of the last year, heightened expectations and what he’s looking forward to most this winter at Portsmouth.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
You had a big summer with the offers, the attention and your success. How do you describe the last year?
Swartz: “I mean, it’s been awesome. Vin definitely put me on a big platform to play well and gave me all the things to play well. It’s just been awesome, having this opportunity, but I mean, I have to play well. Because everyone, mostly, they’re all focused on me and some of my other teammates, so I have to play well and look for my teammates.
“But it’s been awesome. To have little kids coming up to me, talking to me, asking for pictures, asking for autographs, it’s really cool.”
What’s been your favorite moment, whether it’s a college coach reaching out or a game you played in?
Swartz: “That South Carolina tournament was awesome for me. I played well at the right time. We had a game I think against Southern Assault. I think I had 30-something (points), played well at the right time and then getting that call from Georgetown at the airport was definitely a huge moment for me. It was awesome. Being able to have that moment with my teammates and getting the first one.”
Take me into that moment — what was that like?
Swartz: “(Georgetown coach Ed Cooley) called Vin, because there’s an NCAA rule, asking for me, talked to me. He said he loves my game, sees me fitting in their play style and it was just an awesome feeling. And then going back to my teammates and they were all congratulating me.”
THE CLASS OF NH: Derek Swartz among emerging Granite State stars from Mass Rivals
Playing under Vin Pastore with Rivals this summer, what was that like?
Swartz: “It definitely teaches you to try to block things out. I mean, he can also be (crazy), but he’s the nicest guy I know and will do anything for me. And college coaches love it, because they like seeing you being coached hard and being able to play through that, so it’s definitely huge being able to have him as my coach and put me on a huge platform like that.”
What other moments stick out from the spring and summer?
Swartz: “Definitely just playing against these top-rated guys for the first time, like playing against that level of competition that I’ve never played against before definitely was really awesome.”
Was there a specific player or opponent that stands out?
Swartz: “We played the Middlesex Magic with Quinn Costello. That squad was definitely crazy, and that was my first AAU game with Rivals. … We played up two grades, we got smoked, but then a couple tournaments later, we played the top BABC team and only lost by six in the 17U division, so we definitely got a lot better.”
Where have you seen your game grow?
Swartz: “I didn’t really show it a lot tonight (Monday’s home opener vs. Bishop Guertin), but I’ve developed into getting pull-ups, make a move and get downhill, look for my teammates and just trying to get into my pull-up game honestly. Work on that, rising over people is definitely what I’ve been working on and I need to show that more.”
The attention that you get on a nightly basis now, being nationally-ranked and you’re No. 1 on the scouting report, have you kind of felt that?
Swartz: “Definitely. A lot of people are queued in on me. It’s a lot different from last year. People are in help the entire time when I have the ball, so I just need to play a lot smarter, look for my teammates and then everything will open up from there.”
What’s the level of outside noise and how do you deal with that?
Swartz: “There’s a good amount of outside noise, but it doesn’t really affect me too much, so just try to keep it to a minimum.”
There’s also obviously this pressure or attraction to go to prep schools, but this is also a special place. How do you view that?
Swartz: “I love it here. I’m really just focused on winning a championship here for right now. I’m not really thinking too much about that. We’ll see what happens after the season ends.”
How much does this place mean to you here in Portsmouth and all the huge crowds on a nightly basis?
Swartz: “I love it. Like this is a Monday night against BG, and it was crazy in here. It was awesome. It just shows the level of passion people in Portsmouth have for basketball, which is really awesome. You can’t really get that at a prep school.”
What are you most looking forward to with this season personally and team-wise?
Swartz: “Playing in front of big crowds and winning a championship. That’s what we want. I mean, we’ve been working so hard. Winning a championship is going to be an awesome feeling, a really awesome feeling.”
