Florida State rising junior transfer Jerry Deng will arrive in Raleigh with a three-point jumper.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pounder from Norcross, Ga., finished with a fifth year of high school at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep’s post-graduate program Golden State Prep. He was slowed by a knee injury during the summer going into his last season of school and was lightly recruited, ended up at Hampton.
Deng came off the bench and started 11 of 33 games and averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game at Hampton. He shot 46.0 percent from the field and an impressive 39.1 percent on three-pointers.
Deng transferred to Florida State and was insurance in case star forward Jamir Watkins decided to transfer or enter the draft. Instead, Watkins returned to the Seminoles. Deng started twice and played in 31 games for the 17-15 ACC squad. He averaged 7.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game, and shot 43.4 percent from the field and 37.0 percent on three-pointers.
I could have gone a few different ways in picking a game to watch of Deng’s, but went with a 77-64 victory against Tulane on Dec. 14 in front of a listed 7,866 fans at the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic (it looked mostly empty). They played where the Florida Panthers play hockey at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., and the game happened after Florida State had lost 84-78 in overtime at NC State.
Forward Taylor Bol Bowen, who has since transferred to Alabama, was unavailable for FSU, and Deng got the start. He played a season-high 33 minutes and went 3 of 5 from the field, all 3-pointers, and made all four free throws for 13 points. He added two rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.
One of the other reasons I picked the game is because Tulane has three forwards who are pretty good, though two of them didn’t do much. Former Indiana transfer Kaleb Banks is one of the best players in college basketball few talk about and is now going to DePaul. He had 29 points and 16 rebounds. Former Michigan power forward Gregg Glenn III fouled out and had five points and seven boards. Freshman small forward Kam Williams went just 1 of 3 for four points, and he was one of the gems of the transfer market and picked Kentucky.
Watkins was Watkins and got 29 points, four rebounds and five assists, and made an astonishing 19 of 23 at the free-throw line. He is still testing the NBA Draft and in the transfer portal.
Four thoughts after watching Deng:
1. If Deng is open and his feet are set, he shoots a beautiful and deep three-point shot. The three three-pointers he made were pure, and it’s his calling card.
Deng had two scenarios where FSU had a player drive the ball into the paint and kick it out to him, and he made both three-pointers — one on the right wing and one at the top of the key. The Seminoles did a crosscourt pass to him and he drained the three-pointer. That ended up being his last basket of the game for the final 13:33 in giving FSU a 51-34 lead. He basically was involved in two plays down the stretch, both resulting in turnovers.
2. Deng’s FSU teammates could have done a better job of looking for him, but getting him the ball when he’s open on three-pointers wasn’t a team-wide priority.
Deng needs help to get his shot off. He’s not going to go one-on-one and he doesn’t move without the ball all that much, at least not in this game. What he does is lurk behind the three-point stripe and get ready to shoot, but he needs the commitment of his teammates to get him the ball.
The Florida State guards, in this game mostly freshman Daquan Davis and junior Justin Thomas, who both entered the transfer portal. Davis is going to Providence and Thomas to Bowling Green. They combined to go 8 of 19 from the field and 1 of 6 on three-pointers for 19 points and six assists. FSU had the frontcourt strength with Watkins and center Malique Ewin, who transferred to Arkansas, but not the guard play.
3. Deng wasn’t around the basket much this game, getting the ball in the paint area three times.
Deng got a nice pass around the rim and got fouled, making both free throws. The other play he was fouled on, he made a cut toward the paint near the free-throw line and made both free throws. The third sequence was getting quickly stripped when he caught it inside.
Deng didn’t show the ability to catch the ball on the wing and try to create something off the dribble.
Deng’s other two turnovers involved dribbling into one and then he threw a weak lob pass on the break in attempting an alley-oop.
4. Deng seemed to play good team defense and Banks wasn’t getting his 29 points against him.
Banks had one good blow-by drive that caught Deng flat-flooted. Deng did get a nice steal, but he wasn’t really in a position to block any shots.
How good of a defender is Deng? I’d go with to be determined. He has good length but he also will get overpowered by certain kinds of power forwards like in theory, Duke incoming freshman Cameron Boozer, who likes to work 15 feet and in with an occasional three-pointer.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pounder from Norcross, Ga., finished with a fifth year of high school at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep’s post-graduate program Golden State Prep. He was slowed by a knee injury during the summer going into his last season of school and was lightly recruited, ended up at Hampton.
Deng came off the bench and started 11 of 33 games and averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game at Hampton. He shot 46.0 percent from the field and an impressive 39.1 percent on three-pointers.
Deng transferred to Florida State and was insurance in case star forward Jamir Watkins decided to transfer or enter the draft. Instead, Watkins returned to the Seminoles. Deng started twice and played in 31 games for the 17-15 ACC squad. He averaged 7.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game, and shot 43.4 percent from the field and 37.0 percent on three-pointers.
I could have gone a few different ways in picking a game to watch of Deng’s, but went with a 77-64 victory against Tulane on Dec. 14 in front of a listed 7,866 fans at the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic (it looked mostly empty). They played where the Florida Panthers play hockey at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., and the game happened after Florida State had lost 84-78 in overtime at NC State.
Forward Taylor Bol Bowen, who has since transferred to Alabama, was unavailable for FSU, and Deng got the start. He played a season-high 33 minutes and went 3 of 5 from the field, all 3-pointers, and made all four free throws for 13 points. He added two rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.
One of the other reasons I picked the game is because Tulane has three forwards who are pretty good, though two of them didn’t do much. Former Indiana transfer Kaleb Banks is one of the best players in college basketball few talk about and is now going to DePaul. He had 29 points and 16 rebounds. Former Michigan power forward Gregg Glenn III fouled out and had five points and seven boards. Freshman small forward Kam Williams went just 1 of 3 for four points, and he was one of the gems of the transfer market and picked Kentucky.
Watkins was Watkins and got 29 points, four rebounds and five assists, and made an astonishing 19 of 23 at the free-throw line. He is still testing the NBA Draft and in the transfer portal.
Four thoughts after watching Deng:
1. If Deng is open and his feet are set, he shoots a beautiful and deep three-point shot. The three three-pointers he made were pure, and it’s his calling card.
Deng had two scenarios where FSU had a player drive the ball into the paint and kick it out to him, and he made both three-pointers — one on the right wing and one at the top of the key. The Seminoles did a crosscourt pass to him and he drained the three-pointer. That ended up being his last basket of the game for the final 13:33 in giving FSU a 51-34 lead. He basically was involved in two plays down the stretch, both resulting in turnovers.
2. Deng’s FSU teammates could have done a better job of looking for him, but getting him the ball when he’s open on three-pointers wasn’t a team-wide priority.
Deng needs help to get his shot off. He’s not going to go one-on-one and he doesn’t move without the ball all that much, at least not in this game. What he does is lurk behind the three-point stripe and get ready to shoot, but he needs the commitment of his teammates to get him the ball.
The Florida State guards, in this game mostly freshman Daquan Davis and junior Justin Thomas, who both entered the transfer portal. Davis is going to Providence and Thomas to Bowling Green. They combined to go 8 of 19 from the field and 1 of 6 on three-pointers for 19 points and six assists. FSU had the frontcourt strength with Watkins and center Malique Ewin, who transferred to Arkansas, but not the guard play.
3. Deng wasn’t around the basket much this game, getting the ball in the paint area three times.
Deng got a nice pass around the rim and got fouled, making both free throws. The other play he was fouled on, he made a cut toward the paint near the free-throw line and made both free throws. The third sequence was getting quickly stripped when he caught it inside.
Deng didn’t show the ability to catch the ball on the wing and try to create something off the dribble.
Deng’s other two turnovers involved dribbling into one and then he threw a weak lob pass on the break in attempting an alley-oop.
4. Deng seemed to play good team defense and Banks wasn’t getting his 29 points against him.
Banks had one good blow-by drive that caught Deng flat-flooted. Deng did get a nice steal, but he wasn’t really in a position to block any shots.
How good of a defender is Deng? I’d go with to be determined. He has good length but he also will get overpowered by certain kinds of power forwards like in theory, Duke incoming freshman Cameron Boozer, who likes to work 15 feet and in with an occasional three-pointer.
