Florida State portal pickup Jerry Deng talks commitment and relationship with coaching staff
Hampton’s Jerry Deng announced he will be heading to Tallahassee to play under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State next season. The 6'9” wing played at powerhouse Norcross High School in Gwinnett County, GA before spending a prep season at Golden State Prep in California. Despite his shooting ability and skill set, Deng was a low 3-star prospect and overlooked by high-major schools.
Deng had a strong freshman campaign at Hampton University, and flashed his potential as a versatile player that can play inside-and-out. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting an impressive 46% from the field and 39% from beyond the three point arc. He did so in just 21.8 minutes per game, which translates to 18.4 points per 40 minutes.
After entering the portal, Deng received wide interest from high-majors and tournament-level squads. Some of these schools included FAU, Temple, Providence, Georgia Tech, Florida, SMU, California, Virginia, TCU, and many more. Ultimately, the final two choices came down to Florida State and New Mexico. I had the chance to speak to Jerry about his commitment and what separated the Seminoles in his recruitment.
Q: What was your overall experience being in the Portal? How did you deal with the constant recruitment, and phone calls?
A: It was definitely a great experience just to see my hard work is starting to pay off with all the schools reaching out and stuff like that, but honestly I’m ready to be a Seminole and win some games.
Q: For Florida State fans who have never seen you play, what type of player are they getting?
A: “FSU fans are getting an ultra competitive, versatile, and skilled athletic wing that will do whatever it takes to win. I’m going to give it 100% every time I put on those Seminole colors.”
Q: What separated Florida State from the other schools that recruited you?
A: “Honestly it started with the relationship I had with coach Kevin Nickelberry. He was my first big time offer at Georgetown in 11th grade. I told him my goal was being a first round pick, and he said he was going to hold me to that. He has always seen my talent and work ethic when a lot of other coaches passed. He told me when he was recruiting me all the stuff I needed to work on, instead of telling me the stuff I was good at. Once I met and sat down with Coach Hamilton we talked for hours, and related right away. Our goals lined up with each others it was like a cherry on top. He talked about how he has helped guys like me get to the league and even more importantly, the relationships he has with his former players to this day. Overall it felt like a family orientated staff and that’s important for me.”
Q: How did you feel upon hearing the news of Malique Ewin’s commitment, especially considering he attended a school right down the road in Atlanta?
A: “I definitely felt excited knowing that I'm going to be playing with another ‘dog’ and I was just thinking about the different ways we can play with each other with us both being mismatch nightmares.”
With his ability to space the floor, expect Jerry Deng to make an immediate impact on Leonard Hamilton’s squad. In the modern era of basketball, coaches can’t get enough of players with his size and shooting ability.