FSU signs JUCO All-American; top scorer Jamir Watkins declares for NBA Draft

The outlook for the FSU men’s basketball team’s overhauled roster became a little more clear Wednesday with a pair of major moves.

The good news for Leonard Hamilton’s team was that the Seminoles landed junior college All-America post player Malique Ewin, who averaged 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds last season at South Plains College in Texas.

The bad news was that star swingman Jamir Watkins, who led the Seminoles in scoring, rebounding and steals during his lone season in Tallahassee, announced he is declaring for the NBA Draft. The 6-foot, 7-inch VCU transfer averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Watkins also led FSU with 64 steals, and he ranked second on the team with 91 assists; the only player with more was point guard Jalen Warley with 92.

Watkins’ decision, which was not a surprise, makes him the seventh Seminole to announce he’s leaving the program this offseason. The other six — Warley, fellow guards Primo Spears and Tom House, and forwards Cam Corhen, Baba Miller and De’Ante Green — all entered the transfer portal.

Florida State also had four players who were listed as seniors last season: Darin Green Jr., Jaylin Gainey, Cam’Ron Fletcher and Josh Nickelberry. So as of now, the Seminoles could have 11 new players on their roster for 2024-25.

Earlier this week, Hampton forward Jerry Deng announced he would be joining FSU as a transfer. The 6-9 forward averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.

Florida State also has three high school players joining the team: four-star point guard Daquan Davis, three-star forward AJ Swinton and three-star forward Christian Nitu.

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Here is the release from FSU on the signing of Ewin:

Malique Ewin (6-10, 220), the No. 1 ranked junior college player in America, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Florida State University and play basketball for Head Coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff. Ewin was named the nation’s top junior college player in the nation in 2024 as he led South Plains College (Texas) to the Elite 8 of the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, Ks., as he averaged 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Ewin is the No. 1 ranked player and the No. 1 ranked center in the junior college ranks by 247Sports. According to On3, he was a four-star prospect coming out of high school.

The FSU signee earned NJCAA All-American First-Team honors, was named as the WJCAC Region 5 Player of the Year, and has been chosen to play in the NJCAA All-Star game in May.

In 2024, Ewin led South Plains to the WJCAC conference championship and was named as the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and to the All-Conference team.

“Malique is a player we really like because he fits well in so many ways with our team concept,” said FSU’s Hamilton, who has been named as the ACC Coach of the Year three times. “He’s versatile, will help us both offensively and defensively, and plays hard all of the time. Malique is a true all-around player, who makes big time plays on offense and defense.”

Ewin averaged 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds this past season at South Plains. He played in 34 games, shot .626 percent from the field, and earned 35 steals in leading South Plains to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA National Tournament. Ewin earned a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds as South Plains fell to eventual national champion Triton in the Elite 8 of the championship tournament. He totaled 21 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots in the second round of the tournament to advance the Texans to the quarterfinals.

“I think Florida State is the best fit for me and helping me reach my goals,” said Ewin. “I’m looking forward to helping Florida State get back to winning championships. I really connected with the staff and am excited about a chance to be coached By Leonard Hamilton.”

Ewin led South Plans to a No. 2 seed in the NJCAA National Championship tournament, to the NJCAA Region V Championship, to the nation’s No 1 national ranking for 12 weeks during the 2023-24 season, and to the Western Junior College Athletic Conference regular season championship.

Ewin began his career at Ole Miss where he played in 14 games as a freshman for the Rebels. He scored his 10 points with five rebounds for Ole Miss in a game during his first year as a collegiate player against UCF.

Ewin has been selected to play in the 2024 NJCAA Junior College All-Star game (May 17-18) in Las Vegas.

As a prep star, Ewin (Lawrenceville, Ga.) was ranked among the top-20 centers in the nation and named as the 7-AAAAAAA Player of the Year in the state of Georgia at Berkmar High School. He earned All-State, All-Metro, and All-County honors throughout his career. Ewin averaged a double-double of 17.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocked shots and 1.9 assists per game as a junior at Berkmar. He was an All-State First-Team selection and led Berkmar to a runner-up finish in the 2022 Georgia High School State Championship tournament.

Ewin initially committed to Ole Miss after receiving offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Xavier, and Illinois.  

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