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. In 2024, Ewin was named the nation’s top junior college player as he led South Plains College (Texas) to the Elite 8 of the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, Ks., averaging 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Ewin is the No. 1 player and the No. 1 center in the junior college ranks by 247Sports. He earned NJCAA All-American First-Team honors, was named 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 the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and the All-Conference team.

“Malique is a player we really like because he fits well in so many ways with our team concept,” Hamilton, who has been named as the ACC Coach of the Year three times, said. “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,” Ewin said. “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 14 games as a freshman for the Rebels. He scored 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 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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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU men's basketball signs top-ranked JUCO center Malique Edwin