Hampton power forward transfer Jerry Deng commits to Florida State
The Florida State Seminoles‘ basketball team has been no stranger to length and athleticism over the years under Leonard Hamilton. They’ve recruited a pipeline of prospects that are tall, rangy, and athletic. On Saturday night, they reeled in another one that fits that mold from the transfer portal, former Hampton power forward Jerry Deng.
Jerry Deng shined in his first year of college hoops
He started 11 of 33 games this year for the Hampton Pirates, averaging 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He shot 39% from beyond-the-arc (43 of 110). Deng also shot 79.7% from the free throw line. One of his other finalists in the portal recruitment process were the New Mexico Lobos. He took an official visit to New Mexico last weekend.
A native of Norcross, Georgia, Deng attended Norcross High, where he led his team to the 7A state championship game. He also hit a career-high five threes in his game against Mount Vernon. When he chose Hampton out of high school, he picked them over offers from Akron, DePaul, East Carolina, Georgia, Georgia State, and Mercer.
There are plenty of famous athletes that also went to Norcross, like Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints.
Like many other teams across the country, Florida State is looking to rebuild their roster for next year through the transfer portal. They recently lost big man Baba Miller to the portal, and they also lost one of their more explosive scorers, Jalen Warley, to the portal.
Florida State had a pretty disappointing year overall, but they finished 17-16. They still managed some quality wins on the season, a 77-71 win over Colorado, a 77-74 win over Virginia Tech, and an 87-82 win over Wake Forest. Jamir Watkins carried the Seminoles for much of the season, leading the team with 16.4 points per game.
In the 2024 ACC Tournament, Watkins erupted for 34 points and 11 rebounds in the Seminoles’ 86-76 win over Virginia Tech. He was named All-ACC honorable mention this year.
Florida State featured one of the tallest teams in America yet again this year, as they usually have one of the taller and more athletic rosters in the country. According to KenPom’s average height metric, the Seminoles ranked No. 1 in the country in that measurable. Now they’ll look to build other pieces around Deng in the offseason.