FORT MYERS, Fla.- The eighth and final Florida SouthWestern State sophomore signed his National Letter of Intent on Monday as point guard Jalen Finch inked with Jacksonville State, giving the Bucs 2020 class a perfect eight for eight moving on to the NCAA Division I level. 

 

Finch was nothing short of spectacular for the Bucs over the past two seasons, playing in all 64 and starting 49 games at the point, while leading FSW to a 59-5 record during his time in Fort Myers. A First Team All-Conference selection for the Bucs this season, Finch averaged 9.9 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 46% from the field.  During the Bucs' second straight undefeated Suncoast Conference Championship run, Finch posted a 5.3/1.0 assist to turnover ratio in 12 conference contests.  Finch was much more of a scoring threat during his second season in Purple and Aqua, scoring in double figures 18 different times.  

 

With Finch at the controls, the Bucs were nearly unbeatable the past two seasons, going 59-5 overall and a perfect 24-0 in Suncoast Conference play, while spending 12 weeks as the nation's #1 ranked team.  FSW earned a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament in 2019 and finished 5th before picking up another bid in 2020 before the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.  

 

Finch will join a large, transfer heavy class on the Jacksonville State campus this fall.  The Gamecocks are coming off of a 13-19 season in which they went 8-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play.  JSU will look for Finch's winning ways to bring an added element to the Gamecocks attack in 2020-21 after dropping 11 games by six or less points this season.  

 

Finch's signing rounds out the Bucs' 2020 class moving on to the next level.  All eight FSW sophomores signed at the NCAA Division I level as Finch joins Keon Ellis (Alabama), Berrick JeanLouis (Iona), Jermaine Marshall (Akron), Ralph Bissainthe (Central Michigan), Simeon Kirkland (UAB), De'Lazarus Keys (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and Sebastian Guitian (South Carolina State).