Florida State University Athletics
2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Jerry Deng
- Year:
- Sophomore
- Height:
- 6-9
- Hometown:
- Rochester, N.Y.
- Weight:
- 220
- High School:
- Norcross (Ga.)
- Other College:
- Hampton University
JERRY DENG'S CAREER HIGHS
PTS: 37 vs. Mary Baldwin (12-11-23)*
REBS: 10 at NC A&T (2-1-24)*
BLKS: 2 vs. Mary Baldwin (12-11-23)*, vs. Howard (2-3-24)*, vs. Hofstra (2-8-23)*, vs. Towson (2-17-24)*
STLS: 2 vs. Mary Baldwin (12-1-23)*, vs. Monmouth (2-29-24)*, vs. Tulane (12-14-24)**
ASTS: 3 vs. Tarleton State (11-12-4)**, vs. UMass (11-24-24)**, vs. Syracuse (1-4-25)**
*at Hampton; **at Florida State
HONORS
2025 All-ACC Academic Men's Basketball Team
WHY I WEAR MY NUMBER
Jerry Deng – I wear No. 7 at Florida State to honor New York Knicks star Carmello Anthony who has always been my favorite player. I wore no. 15 during my only year at Hampton.
Jerry Deng is the second player in school history to wear uniform No. 7. Ray Schoeneck wore the No. 7 on Florida State’s first team during the 1947-48 season – the first season of Florida State basketball. Following a rule change to begin the 2023–24 season, the NCAA once again began allowing college basketball players to wear numbers 0–99 on their jerseys, including numbers 0 and 00. Previously, the NCAA had restricted two-digit jersey numbers that included the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9
WHAT'S IN A NAME
My full name is Malou Deng. I was named after my grandfather. Jerry was the name I was given by the people that helped my mom move to the United States in 2023.
MY HOMETOWN
Jerry Deng – My hometown of Rochester, N.Y. is where I lived until I was nine years old. I was young when I lived in Rochester, but the memories I have there still stick with me to this day and helped shape me to be the player I am today. It’s a great city that is near the Genesee River Falls and Lake Ontario. Rochester is the home to the George Eastman Museum – the founder of the photography company Eastman Kodak.
ON DENG
Played one season as a Florida State Seminole under head coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff (2024-25)…played in 31 of Florida State’s 32 games including 19 of the Seminoles’ 20 ACC games…entered his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 29, 2025 and committed to play at NC State on April 25, 2025…marked his second time in the NCAA Transfer Portal…entered the transfer portal on March 18, 2024 following his first collegiate season at Hampton (2023-24) and affirmed his commitment to Leonard Hamilton and his staff at Florida State on April 20, 2024…chose to be a Seminole over New Mexico, Auburn, LSU, Georgetown, Georgia Tech and Florida…has an excellent ability to shoot the basketball as evidenced by his .449 field goal shooting percentage, his .380 mark from the 3-point line, and his .771 mark from the free throw during his two seasons as a collegiate player…a one-time Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Week at Hampton (Feb 5, 2024) for his outstanding performances in the QQQ legacy Classic…during Hampton’s two games in the QQQ Invesco Classic, Deng averaged 13.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the field with 10 rebounds coming against NC A&T (Feb. 1, 2024) and 21 points coming against Howard (Feb. 3, 2024)…he became the first Pirate player to earn a conference player or rookie of the week award since the 2022-23 season…named to the 2025 All-Academic Men’s Basketball team.
AS A SOPHOMORE (2025)
Averaged 7.0 points (fifth on the team) and 1.9 rebounds (eighth) while making a single-season career-high 44 3-point shots (second)…shot .370 percent from the 3-point line (second) as he shot .370 percent or better from the 3-point line for the second time in his collegiate career…earned career-high statistics for 3-point field goals made (44) and 3-point field goals attempted (119) while tying his career-high for steals (13) in his one season in the Seminoles’ rotation…earned his two career starting assignment as a Seminole in wins over Tulane in the Orange Bowl Classic (Dec. 14) and at Boston College (Feb. 2)…scored 9 points -- on a team-leading three 3-point shots made -- with 4 rebounds and 2 steals in his Florida State debut in the Seminoles 74-62 win over Northern Kentucky at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 4)...totaled 5 points and added 1 rebound in 7 minutes of playing time in the Seminoles' 73-65 win over Rice at the Toyota Center in Houston (Nov. 9)...scored 6 points, with a career-high 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in Florida State's 72-52 win over Tarleton State at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 12)...scored 7 points (on 2 made 3-point shots) with 3 rebounds in Florida State's 78-69 win over Temple in the Basketball Hall of Fame at the Mohegan Sun Arena (Nov. 22)...totaled 10 points with 3 assists and 2 rebounds in Florida State's victory over UMass in their final game of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off (Nov. 24)...totaled 11 points on 3 made 3-point shots against LSU in the ACC/SEC Challenge in Baton Rouge (Dec. 3)...totaled 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals as a starter in Florida State's 77-64 win over Tulane in the Orange Bowl Classic (Dec. 14)...totaled 7 points, 3 rebounds, and a career-high tying 3 assists in Florida State's 90-74 win over Syracuse at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Jan. 4)...scored 7 points with 3 rebounds in Florida State's 80-65 victory over Miami in Coral Gables (Jan. 8)...scored 11 points with 1 rebound, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State's ACC game at Clemson (Jan. 11)...scored 9 points with 1 rebound in 11 minutes of playing time in the Seminoles' 91-78 win over Georgia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Jan. 18)...scored 11 points with 2 rebounds against Cal on the road in ACC play (Jan. 22)...totaled 7 points on 2 made 3-point shots on his birthday in Florida State's victory over Miami in Tallahassee, 74-66 (Feb. 19)...scored his ACC and Florida State career-high of 16 points on 4 made 3-point shots with 2 rebounds against North Carolina in Tallahassee (Feb. 24)...scored 12 points on 3 made 3-point shots in Florida State's game at Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium (March 1)...scored 11 points on 3 made 3-point shots with 3 rebounds and 1 steal in Florida State's victory over SMU in Tallahassee (March 8)...totaled 10 points with 2 rebounds in his first career ACC Tournament game against Syracuse at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte (March 11).
AS A FRESHMAN (2024): Averaged 10.1 points (third on the team), 4.2 rebounds (fourth) and 0.5 blocked shots (fourth) in his one season as Hampton University…led the Pirates with a .391 3-point field goal shooting percentage as he made 43 long range shots to rank second on the team…scored 332 points in his 33 games for his double-figure scoring average…earned Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Week honors (Feb 5, 2024) for his outstanding performances in the QQQ legacy Classic…during Hampton’s two games in the QQQ Invesco Classic, Deng averaged 13.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the field with 10 rebounds coming against NC A&T (Feb. 1, 2024) and 21 points coming against Howard (Feb. 3, 2024)…he became the first Pirate player to earn a conference player or rookie of the year award since the 2022-23 season…scored in double-figures in 16 games including his career-high 37 point in a victory over Mary Baldwin (Dec. 11)…made a career-high 15 field goals, on a career-high 19 attempts, with a career-high tying four made 3-point field goals and was a perfect three of three from the free throw line against Mary Baldwin (Dec. 11)…scored in double-figures in a career-best four consecutive games with 21 vs. Howard (Feb. 3), 10 against Hofstra (Feb. 8), 19 against UNC Wilmington (Feb. 10), and a10 at Stony Brook (Feb. 15) for an average of 15.0 points per game during the stretch of regular season games…in double figures in three consecutive games with 19 against Virginia Lynchburg (Dec. 3) 37 against Mary Baldwin, and 18 against James Madison for a three-game scoring average of 24.7 points per game…totaled 20 or more points twice with 37 coming against Mary Baldwin and 21 coming against Howard (Feb. 3)…his career-high of four 3-point field goals came in consecutive game against Mary Baldwin (four of six, 37 points) and James Madison (4-5, 18 points)…was a combined total of eight of 11 (.727 percent) from the 3-point line and averaged 27.5 points scored per game in the back-to-back games…also made four 3-point field goals against Howard in scoring 21 points against the Bison…made multiple 3-point shots in 13 different games with four coming in three games, at least three coming in seven different games, and at least two coming in 13 of Hampton’s games…shot a team-leading .797 from the free throw line with his career-high of five free throws coming against Elon (Jan. 27; 13 points), at Stony Brook, and at Campbell (Feb. 22; 15 points)…multiple free throws made in 18 different games…was a perfect 11 of 11 in four consecutive games at NC A&T (four of four), against Howard (one of one), against Hofstra, and against UNC Wilmington…he averaged 15.0 points scored per game in those four games…ranked fourth on the team with 138 rebounds and a 4.2 rebounds per game average…totaled five or more rebounds in 16 different games…double-figure rebounds came at NC A&T (Feb. 1) as he totaled 10 rebounds against the Aggies…totaled nine rebounds against Hofstra, eight against Monmouth (Feb. 29), and seven each against Elon and at Stony Brook…second on the Hampton team with 43 3-point field goals made including one stretch of six games against Virginia-Lynchburg, Mary Baldwin, James Madison, at Bowling Green (Dec. 19), at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 21), and at Drexel (Jan. 1) when he was a combined 13 of 18 (.722) from long range…closed the season with at least one 3-point shot in eight of his final nine games as a Pirate (15 of 37, .405 percent) and averaged 11.2 points scored per game from February 10 through March 9)…has a good handle with zero turnovers in 24 of his 33 games as a freshman.
AT NORCROSS HIGH SCHOOL:
Graduated from Norcross High School in 2023…a Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State Honorable Mention selection and an Atlanta Tipoff Club All-Metro Team pick as a senior…an all-region 7-AAAAAAA Team honoree…a Gwinnett Daily Post All-County and Gwinnett Tipoff Club All-County selection during his outstanding senior season…totaled 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots in Norcross' 58-45 win over Berkmar in the Class AAAAAAA state championship game…went to the same high school as Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints…played with the Georgia Stars on the EYBL circuit.
PERSONAL
Born: February 19, 2004…Jerry is the son of Guet Akou…was born in Rochester, N.Y…his family came to the United States from South Soudan as refugees just before he was born…moved to Texas in the third grade then to Sioux Falls, S.D. where his mom currently lives…got his work ethic from his mom…is one of seven brothers and sisters (Deng, Yar, Monica, Victoria, Akou) of which he is the second youngest with Akou being his little brother…has eight nieces and nephews (four nieces and four nephews)…moved to Norcross after his freshman season in South Dakota to pursue his dreams of playing basketball at the highest level at Norcross High School…initially chose Hampton over offers from Georgetown, Akron, East Carolina and FIU.
