For most athletes, going from a Division I athletic program to a Division II school would seem like a demotion.

In Steve Swiech's case, however, it feels more like a promotion. Swiech, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-9 center, is headed to California University of Pennsylvania with high hopes that he will revive his basketball career there.

"The goal is to win a D-II championship," Swiech said bluntly.

Those are seemingly high expectations for a guy who barely saw the floor during his first three years playing college basketball.

Swiech, who displayed Division I potential during his career at Elizabeth Forward High School, was the Post-Gazette's WPIAL Class AAA player of the year during his junior season for the Warriors, averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks per game, before a stress fracture in his left foot sidelined him near the end of the season.

That injury hardly affected his play during his senior year. Swiech averaged 24.6 points as a senior and finished a spectacular high school career totaling 1,920 points before moving on to play at the University of Akron.

After redshirting as a freshman, Swiech thought he would get some quality playing time as a sophomore, but things didn't quite work out that way. Swiech played only 29 minutes during the 2008-09 season, but did see action in an NCAA tournament game.

The following season didn't end with favorable results either, as he only played 14 minutes and averaged just 1.3 points per game.

"It was very frustrating," Swiech said of his time at Akron.

For the first time he was second guessing his basketball skills and his decision to attend the school. He believes his struggles were related to the fact that he didn't fit into his coach's offensive system.

His new coach, Bill Brown, has known Swiech since he was in junior high school and also believed the system at Akron hindered Swiech's success.

"Sometimes the system determines stats and whether you'll fit in or not," Brown said.

Even though he went through his share of trials at Akron, Swiech has fond memories of his time there.

"I may not have had the most success on the court, but I had a lot of good experiences" he said. "I got to play in an [NCAA] tournament game."

One of the biggest reasons he isn't so down about leaving is he will be leaving the right way.

"I had to realize what I came there for," Swiech said, referring to earning his degree at Akron.

He will be graduating from Akron with a bachelor's degree in business and organization next month. Amazingly, he accomplished that in just three years, which gives him two years of eligibility at California [athletes who transfer to a lower division aren't required to sit out a season].

That's also two years that Brown can use to get him back to playing like the standout he was at Elizabeth Forward. Brown plans on using Swiech's size and presence inside to his advantage.

"It's a game of repetition and also a game of confidence." Brown said. "We're going to give him confidence."

Swiech is certainly confident that this move to California University will be all positive. His personal goal is to leave Cal U with a master's degree in education and possibly go on to teach aeronautics in the future.

As far as his future in basketball goes, he's doesn't see himself playing competitively beyond college, barring any extraordinary happenings with the Vulcans.

"I'm more than happy to finish out my two years of eligibility at Cal," he said. "I can be at peace with the game of basketball."

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