LEXINGTON, KY.—Dylan Cardwell was destined to begin the final few weeks of his five-year odyssey of a college basketball career at Rupp Arena.
But instead of suiting up for the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers, Cardwell could have been wearing the orange and white of No. 2 seed Tennessee. In the spring of 2019, Cardwell, a 6-foot-11, 255-pound graduate student, was ready to commit to the Vols. But, when associate head coach Rob Lanier took the head-coaching job at Georgia State, Cardwell changed his mind.
As it turned out, the lifelong Auburn fan was meant to play for coach Bruce Pearl. The Tigers had been recruiting 6-foot-11 Clifford Omoruyi, but when he decided to sign with Rutgers, Pearl and his staff reversed course to Cardwell, and since the fall of 2020, he’s been plugging away, doing whatever Pearl needs and providing emotional lifts for his coaches, teammates, fans, and fellow students.
Cardwell has become a literal big man on campus. And for that, ironically, he can thank his official visit to Tennessee, where he was hosted by Grant Williams, the two-time SEC player of the year and eventual first-round NBA Draft pick.
“Grant is a great guy,” Cardwell told Hoops HQ. “He gave me a blueprint, an example of the man I want to be. He took his time to greet everybody on campus and really just went out of his way for everybody to see he’s a Vol For Life — here we call it an Auburn Man. Just having a deep love for your university and being a man of God. Grant Williams every single day showed me that example. I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is living a life of influence and impact.’”
Cardwell took Williams’ example and cranked it up several notches when he enrolled at Auburn. He immersed himself in the campus experience and tried everything he could, posting video evidence on social media. Chillin’ with Dylan, he calls it.
He’s been a firefighter for a day, donning a full uniform and going into a simulated burning house, where he hauled out a 150-pound dummy. He’s been a police officer for a day and has helped train the school’s mascots, eagles Aurea and Independence.
“I’ve never had a teammate like Dylan Cardwell,” says 6-5 senior guard Miles Kelly. “Never. He just brings his passion and energy every night. And his energy translates to the rest of us. He’s also a great person off the court. You can come to him with anything. On the court, he’s a vocal leader. We go as far as he goes.”
Pearl respects Cardwell for many reasons, but perseverance is chief among them. He calls it “fight or flee,” and Cardwell chose to stick around and fight.
“After his freshman year, we were able to attract [transfer big man] Walker Kessler,” Pearl said. “Most kids get in the portal. He stuck. The next year, we attracted Johni Broome. Most kids get in the portal. He stuck. Johni comes back for a second year; he could have gone in the second round [of the NBA Draft]. Dylan stuck. Johni comes back again, and Dylan stuck.
“That was the key. I told them this past summer that if they both came back, I would start them together.”
At first, the twin tower (Broome is 6-foot-10) pairing wasn’t clicking. “We were too big, too slow; we weren’t playing fast enough,” Pearl says. “But they figured it out. We’ve made people have to deal with us, instead of us dealing with them. Our size. We’re one of the elite shot-blocking teams in the nation.”
Cardwell’s faith played a part in his decision to stay. “I had a deep belief in God,” Cardwell says. “At some point, it would all make sense. At some point, it would happen.”
It has happened this season. The Tigers begin their quest for a national championship against No. 16 seed Alabama State on Thursday. Despite his modest statistics (5.1 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game), Cardwell will play an outsized role, whether it’s blocking shots (1.6 blocks per game) or firing up his teammates.
“He’s an incredible stand-up guy,” Pearl says. “When he’s done playing basketball, he could go into ministerial work. And he doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk.”
