Dec 3, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jerry Deng (7) brings the ball up court against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

FSU Basketball sharpshooter to enter transfer portal

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Mar 29, 2025 7:32 PM ET

It's a big season for Florida State men's basketball, as Leonard Hamilton has stepped down after 23 years as the head coach in Tallahassee, making way for his former point guard, Luka Loucks. Any time a coaching change happens in college basketball, rosters usually undergo heavy overhauls. That's starting to happen now for the Seminoles.

Sophomore forward Jerry Deng will enter the transfer portal for the second time. He started his career at Hampton and transferred to FSU last offseason, going on to average 7.0 PPG while shooting 37% from three-point range this season. At 6'9" and with a shooting ability like that, there should be some interest in him.

The Rochester, New York, native had some big performances toward the end of the season, scoring 16 points against North Carolina at home and 12 against Duke on the road. He had a rough shooting stretch to start ACC play, but he went 15/35 (42.9%) from deep over the last seven games of the season.

While he's a great shooter, Deng's biggest issue is that he doesn't provide much else. He's not a great defender, rebounder, or playmaker, and it seems Coach Loucks is going to prioritize strong skill sets as well as shooting, not one or the other. He'd be a solid 10th man, but he was relied upon way too much by FSU this season. He joins Taylor Bol Bowen, Waka Mbatch, Anastasios Rozakeas, Justin Thomas, and Chandler Jackson as Seminoles in the transfer portal.

Coach Loucks will have a busy offseason ahead as he figures out how to navigate the transfer portal as a first-time college coach and shape the roster as he sees fit. FSU had stalled out recently, winning 17 games in each of the last two seasons.