Florida State Basketball: Why Jerry Deng is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

There was remarkable success at Florida State with a few deep postseason runs several years ago, though Leonard Hamilton’s program has taken a measured step back since then. The last three years haven’t gone according to plan, though this past year’s 17-16 mark was a huge improvement over the previous season. Suffice to say, these Seminoles haven’t exactly been competing for ACC titles since the won their last right before the pandemic.

The good news in Tallahassee is that some of this momentum will continue, with leading scorer Jamir Watkins back again next season. The Seminoles’ leading scorer and rebounder will lead this frontcourt again even with a slew of roster changes around him. Other talented forwards Cameron Corhen and Baba Miller were among a long list of transfers while guards Darin Green and Primo Spears also departed the program.

Hamilton’s staff landed a decent haul this offseason, including a few intriguing freshmen and a couple of notable names in the Transfer Portal. Much of the addition came in the frontcourt, including a pair of small forwards in Bostyn Holt from South Dakota and Justin Thomas out of UTSA. The Seminoles didn’t add any guards, instead depending on new additions and increased roles from returning players, but they did grab one other intriguing prospect.

Jerry Deng is a Georgia native who joins Florida State after spending his freshman season at Hampton. Albeit something of an underrated prospect last year, Deng shined in his first collegiate campaign, putting up 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Pirates. His Hampton squad finished at the bottom of the CAA standings but he showed plenty of potential throughout the year.

Deng opted for new surroundings following that debut season and brings a lot of potential to Tallahassee. Florida State is hoping he becomes the latest in a long line of sizable frontcourt talent that has blossomed in this program. Deng is far from a perfect player, but he made 39% of his 3-pointers, nearly 80% of his free throws and has the tools to potentially become a top-level forward in this game.

Overall, Florida State’s Portal haul pales in comparison to several other power conference programs, but let’s not ignore the potential here. They grabbed a few young pieces and replenished a frontcourt devastated by graduation and transfers. While things haven’t looked great for the Seminoles these last three years, the hope is that Watkins’ return and these new faces around can produce results. The only issue with that is that Deng might need a year or two to really take that measured step forward.

In the end we don’t know what this upcoming season will bring for the Seminoles. A lot of their success will likely ride on Watkins and the new faces around him in the frontcourt. Can Deng become a useful player in the ACC or will that transition take time? What exactly does the future look like for this program in a newly-expanded ACC?