The average NBA fan may not have heard of him yet, but by the end of the summer most NBA executives will have seen Devin Sweetney do his thing on the court. Sweetney is a 6’ 6” wing that played college basketball for the St. Francis Red Flash in central Pennsylvania. In his four seasons of college ball, he was a member of the Northeastern Conference All-Freshmen Team and was named First Team All-NEC. He possesses ideal size for a shooting guard at the NBA level, but may be better suited for small forward given his ability to rebound the ball (7 per game for his career). He showed a glimpse of his full potential on national television, defeating Sacred Heart on Senior Night, going off for 31 points and 13 rebounds.
Before he played his college ball in Pennsylvania, he cut his teeth in the Washington D.C. AAU and high school circuit. D.C. is largely considered to have some of the best high school competition in the country. Growing up he played with and against some of the best players currently in the NBA, including: Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Mike Beasley, and Ty Lawson. Competing and learning with that level of talent on a consistent basis gave Sweetney the basic skills that he improved on in college.
Leading up to the draft Sweetney remained in the nation’s capital in order to work out with fellow draft eligible players Kevin Palmer (Texas Corpus Christi) and Ricky Harris (UMass). He’s also working out with Joe Connelly, who is considered a premier trainer that worked with Gilbert Arenas, Juan Dixon, and Roger Mason Jr. When asked which NBA player he considers Sweetney most similar to, Connelly told us, “Wes Matthews of the Jazz.”
“Devin [Sweetney] has a better perimeter game, but the thing that will get his foot in the door is his ability to be a lock down defender. Devin is very athletic and long and covers a lot of ground quickly. The comparison primarily comes from the fact that Devin will almost surely go undrafted, but is the type of player that coaches will appreciate if given the opportunity. He is incredibly coachable, dedicated to improving his game, and has no baggage.”
The amount of work Sweetney has put in this far likely won’t go unrewarded.
“Devin has been a true gym rat and it’s pretty obvious that his game has really come a long way in a short period of time,” Connelly said.
He recently signed with agents Andre Buck and Jamie Knox for player representation. We’ve already explained how Buck excels at getting the most of out his clients and we’re sure Sweetney will be no exception.
Connelly explained, “Our goal is to get some looks to make it to a pre-draft camp and then take it from there.”
We at The Rookie Wall think he’ll have a few individual workouts, and ultimately will play summer league for an NBA team.
Everyone we’ve spoken to has told us that Sweetney is incredibly hard working and a truly exceptional individual. Sweetney has already graduated with two majors, is working on his master’s degree, and regularly attends church with his mother.
Below you’ll see the full transcript of our interview with Sweetney and Connelly where they answer questions about Sweetney’s career at St. Francis, his work in the offseason, and plenty more.
The Rookie Wall: You’re from the D.C. area, which has a great basketball scene. Who was the toughest player you played against in high school? How close is the basketball community in DC/Baltimore?
Devin Sweetney: Being born and raised in the nation’s capital, it is a very small area and the level of basketball is very very competitive. I am a former alumni of D.C Assault and the D.C Blue Devils and have played on teams with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Mike Beasley, Dante Cunningham ,Tywan Lawson as well as other NBA and College basketball players. The toughest player I played against in high school was probably Kevin Durant. As far as the DC/Baltimore basketball community it’s not really close, I mean DC/Baltimore both have respect for one another because we are two of the top cities in the world as far as producing talent in Division 1 as well as the NBA. So when DC and Baltimore play against each other, the games are sold out and very physical and tough.
TRW: We’ve read a lot about you working out with Ricky Harris and Kevin Palmer, what type of workouts are you going through with them?
DS: Rick Harris and Kevin Palmer are two talented players who both can score the basketball well, we really get after one another day in day out to make each other better players and more prepared for camps and individual workouts wit teams. We get a lot of shots up NBA 3s as well as college, and ball handling drills with contact, and we even do work with bricks to make our hands stronger.
TRW: You had an outstanding career at St. Francis, but because you were at a smaller school people might not have seen you play. Can you describe your game for people that haven’t seen you?
DS: Yes, I did have an outstanding career at St. Francis despite are limited success during my tenure up there. I was never well-known nationally but could always hold my own against the nation’s best. I was always one of those diamond in the rough type players, so I always made sure that my game was well-rounded and that I could be versatile and playing at Saint Francis has hopefully helped me showcase that to different scouts and teams in the league. I can play positions 1-4 on the court even though shooting guard is my natural position I had to play the small forward college so I had to mix it up and that helped me develop a “slashers” mentality as far as getting to the hole drawing fouls, creating for my teammates and even posting up smaller guards and I always guarded the opposing teams best player on the defensive end.
TRW: Your numbers (17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) were very similar to last year, but you greatly improved your foul shooting. Who helped you work on that? What aspects of your game are you working on now?
DS: Actually, I was always a good free throw shooter my fresh-soph seasons. I shot about 80% from the charity stripe and junior year I suffered a broken hand in mid-December which caused me to miss 6 games and I struggled when I returned. Last summer I really concentrated on shooting the basketball better and more consistent from 3pt Range because there was no doubt that I could score and get to the rim at ease but I shot the ball much better this season which was kind of the difference in my game.
TRW: What was the highlight of your college career?
DS: I would say the highlight of my career was beating Sacred Heart at home on Senior Night on Fox Sports Net, I had posted 31 points and 13 rebounds in my last game at Degol Arena and plus that was the first time we had beaten Sacred Heart since I was at Saint Francis and with that win we finally clinched a playoff birth in the conference tournament for the first time since 2004-2005 season.
TRW: What are your plans for working out this summer to get in shape for NBA team individual workouts?
DS: My plans this summer are to continue to workout and train with Joe Connelly, he trains many NBA Players such as Gilbert Arenas, Juan Dixon, Roger Mason Jr. and plenty others so I’m excited for that. Joe is based out of Baltimore and is well respected by some of the best players in the world.
TRW: Have you been invited to play at Portsmouth or any other post season tournament?
DS: I wasn’t invited for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament I got put on the alternate list which was very unfortunate, I thought I definitely had the resume to compete in the prestigious camp which would’ve been perfect for me so I could showcase what I can do in front of several NBA teams, but it’s not the end of the world because everything happens for a reason. I am looking forward to working out for teams so that they can evaluate me by my game and not by the school that I attended.
TRW: What have you heard about your draft position? Have you thought about possibly playing overseas?
DS: My draft position is most likely undrafted since there is still a lot of people who aren’t familiar with me. I’m not saying it’s not possible because anything can happen especially in the workouts for teams. Every team has a style and I might fit that style. In each years draft there are about one or two Cinderella stories and hopefully the ball my roll my way. Yes, I have attracted interest from various leagues overseas I wouldn’t mind going that route if it’s the best situation for me and my family.
TRW: What would you tell an NBA GM if they asked what you could bring to the team?
DS: That I am a hard working guy on and off the court. I bring experience and maturity and is an walking example of someone that appreciates the opportunity to play in the National Basketball Association especially coming from a small school Saint Francis University who has had a few former NBA players such as Mike Izzulino, Kevin Porter, Norm Van Lier, and the late great Maurice Stokes who is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. I am a very coach able guy who listens and takes heed to detail and focuses on the task at hand. I take pride in winning and making sure that.
TRW: What NBA player do you compare your game to?
DS: Wow, this is a hard question. I never really gave it much thought, but I have heard comparisons to Martell Webster, Corey Brewer, and Kevin Martin. But I think I play similar to a Josh Childress and Corey Brewer mixed due to their athleticism and versatility, they can do a little bit of everything and that’s how what i take pride in being a complete player. The better skilled you are the more you can bring to the table.
TRW: Who did you pick as your agent? What made you pick that person? Who helped you come to your decision?
DS: I signed with Jamie Knox and Andre Buck from Strategic Sports. I got a great vibe and feel talking to them about pretty much everything, they weren’t like the rest of these agents that just fill your head to get you to sign with them. They take great pride in only doing what is best for you and your family. Jamie isn’t just going to send me somewhere just to ship me but his focus is for me to have a career at this so when it’s all said and done I can have something to show for it. My mom Bernadette Sweetney really was their for me every step of the way to help me keep things and perspective and she probably asked twice as many questions as I did, maybe because I’m her only child and she wants what is best for me.
TRW: Is there anything else you’d like to say?
DS: All in all, at this point I just have to stay ready and workout on my game everyday and lift as much as I can because you never know when teams are going to call to workout. Stay tuned you guys will be seeing me on the big stage soon. I would like to thank The Rookie Wall for the opportunity, I appreciate it. Good luck and God Bless!
The Rookie Wall: Which NBA player would you compare Devin’s game to?
Joe Connelly: The NBA player I would compare Devin to would be Wes Matthews from the Jazz. Devin has a better perimeter game but the thing that will get his foot in the door is his ability to be a lock down defender. Devin is very athletic and long and covers a lot of ground quickly. The comparison primarily comes from the fact that Devin will almost surely go undrafted but is the type of player/person that coaches will appreciate if given the opportunity. He is extremely coachable, dedicated to improving his game, and has no baggage.
TRW: What are Devin’s strengths and weaknesses as a player?
JC: Devin has been a true gym rat and it’s pretty obvious that his game has really come a long way in a short period of time. His jumper is getting ”wet” and the best thing is he is shooting it the same way every time. His footwork is coming along and his pull-up jumpers off the dribble are becoming pretty consistent. Ball handling is something he is working on everyday as that was one of his weaknesses coming in.
The main thing Devin has to work on is believing in himself and not ever allowing his confidence to waver. He has a long road ahead of him and many obstacles coming from a small school that at times will be frustrating, my advice to him is to dedicate his life to improving (which he has done) and not to worry about things he can’t control.
His defensive ability is something that will hopefully crack the door for him to get a look and once it is cracked he is going to have to kick the door in with offensive skills to boot.
Devin is the definition of a sleeper and is a low risk, high reward guy for teams to take a look at. Our goal is to get some looks to make it to a pre-draft camp and then take it from there. His character should help him during the process as well. He already graduated with two majors, working on his master’s, goes to church 4 times a week and his Mother is his best friend.
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In the game of basketball, you are either born with natural talent or work towards becoming a great player; Devin possesses both of those aspects. Devin works diligently to better himself as a player and a person, and has fought through diversity to become the player and man he is today. He is a true leader and possesses all the qualities any coach would ask for in a player. Devin has the dedication and motivation to chase his dreams, and is a true inspiration for any athlete at any age. Watching Devin over his years at St. Francis, he has impacted many peoples’ lives positively and made watching basketball enjoyable. He has played against many top competitors and has proven numerous times that he can “hold his own”. Going to a smaller, less-known school should not affect his chances at being drafted; players should be judged on their talent and work ethic. Devin has stepped up and filled leadership roles when he knew it was necessary and many players and people look up to him as a mentor. Devin is a true athlete who pushes himself to be the best basketball player, leader, and person off the court, which he knows he can be. I wish the best for Devin in his future, and any coach would be lucky to have such a great man on their team.
Devin is indeed a talented player. I am excited to see him grow and mature in the next level. His heart is truely in it 100%, and that is just something that can never be learned or taught; it is innate, and he has it. He has the heart of a champion and the mind of an winner.