Bennie Swain played men's basketball at Texas Southern University for legendary Tiger Coach Ed Adams. Swain held virtually every offensive record in TSU history before the arrival of Harry "Machine Gun" Kelly. He dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference, finishing his career with 3008 points, ranking second in SWAC history.

Swain also was a three-time Helms Foundation All-American and a member of the Chuck Taylor Converse All-American team. Swain led the Tigers to three SWAC Championships and second and third place finishes in the NAIA tournament.

He served as team captain for the Tigers since his sophomore season. After leaving TSU, Swain played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.