4/5/2023 basketball Edit

Transfer prospects intrigued by FSU hoops

Josh Nickelberry was the Atlantic 10's Sixth Man of the Year and scored 26 points vs. Wake. (USA Today Sports)

Bob Ferrante • TheOsceola

Editor

Florida State's path back to respectability in college basketball — and perhaps the NCAA Tournament — will be through player development and the transfer portal.

FSU has not been as active in the transfer portal in the last few weeks as ACC rivals but that appears to be changing as two players have narrowed their choices and have FSU in the mix while another says coach Leonard Hamilton will visit him on Thursday.

Georgetown transfer guard Primo Spears listed FSU as one of four finalists, along with Kansas, TCU and Arkansas. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Spears averaged 16 points and 5.3 assists last season.

VCU transfer forward Jalen DeLoach has the Seminoles in his top six along with San Diego State, Miami, Indiana, Penn State and a potential return to VCU. If that name sounds familiar, yes, FSU linebacker Kalen DeLoach is Jalen's brother. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound DeLoach averaged 9.7 points and 6.9 rebounds. He had five double-doubles and shot 56.2 percent from the floor.

VCU forward Jalen DeLoach is the brother of FSU linebacker Kalen DeLoach. (USA Today Sports)

La Salle's Josh Nickelberry told the Osceola he has a visit scheduled with Hamilton on Thursday in Philadelphia. A 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard, Nickelberry was the Atlantic 10 conference's Sixth Man of the year. He scored 26 points against Wake Forest in November and averaged 12.5 points per game.

"I'm just looking for a best situation for me, where I can come in and really develop, play for some coaches that I can really trust and want the best for me knowing that I'm trying to be a pro," Nickelberry said. "I want coaches to coach me as such — be hard on me and hole me accountable."

Nickelberry said he is also drawing interest from South Carolina as well as other schools. He is a two-time transfer, spending his first two years at Louisville, but Nickelberry said he will graduate in May from La Salle with a bachelor's in communications and has one year to play college basketball. He would like to pursue a second degree in either business or entrepreneurship.

"Coach Ham, he’s the only coach I’ve talked to. I haven’t talked to any assistants," Nickelberry said. "It’s only been directly with coach Ham. We’ve had Zooms, we’ve had several phone calls. He’s calling my parents. … We’ve already had a relationship from when I was in high school. Florida State was one of my top schools coming out of high school. So it was really just strengthening my relationship we already have. That’s putting Florida State on a little bit of a higher pedestal as well because I know the coach."

The Seminoles suffered through a second injury-depleted season, finishing 2022-23 with just nine wins as Jaylan Gainey was lost in the preseason and Cam Fletcher also suffered an injury after 10 games. The lack of experience and depth two seasons in a row led to FSU missing out on the NCAA Tournament after claiming the ACC regular-season title in March 2020.

While these past few seasons haven't been what FSU coaches, players or fans have expected, the program is held in very high regard by Nickelberry. He went to Oak Hill (Va.) Academy and the four-star prospect had FSU as a finalist before he chose Louisville.

Nickelberry had a chance to meet Dwayne Bacon years ago and said he looked up to Bacon and Malik Beasley when he was younger.Hamilton and FSU's staff have a reputation of developing players for the NBA as well as pro basketball overseas. That as well as a history of winning at FSU intrigues Nickelberry.

"I know coach Ham, I know his character, I know what he can do with developing guys," Nickelberry said. "Winning. He’s been winning all of his career. I just know last year was a little bit of a down year. He’ll definitely bounce back."

Primo Spears averaged 16 points at Georgetown last season. (USA Today Sports)