How did Devin Vassell fare at Florida State Seminoles? All you need to know

The San Antonio Spurs are in tanking mode, but their wing Devin Vassell has been a silver lining this season. He dropped 26 points in 28 minutes in his last outing as the Spurs blew out the Houston Rockets on the road. He did so while shooting 58% from the field and 62% from deep, along with five assists and four rebounds.

Many analysts are calling it his breakout season, and legendary coach Gregg Popovich is trusting him in crucial minutes. During the preseason games in Mexico City, Vassell spoke about his relationship with coach Pop:

"The best coach in the world. The greatest coach of all time. I love him. Pop has a lot of trust in me and I have a lot of trust in him."

So let's take a look at this rising star's basketball journey and how he fared in college before ending up in the NBA.

How was Devin Vassell's college career at Florida State?

Devin Vassell of the Florida State Seminoles against Duke in 2020.

Devin Vassell played for the Florida State Seminoles for two years before declaring for the NBA draft. He joined Florida State University in 2018 and had a great freshman season.

Even though he came off the bench for all 33 games, he had some incredible moments. He averaged just 4.5 points, 0.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, but led all freshmen in his conference (ACC) with a 3-point shooting percentage of 41.9%.

In the quarter-finals of the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament against the Virginia Tech Hokies, he made a clutch 3-pointer to force overtime. They eventually won the game 65-63 to advance to the semis. Vassell came off the bench and dropped a season-high four triples.

He was named a starter in his sophomore year and that is when things really started to change. He got more minutes and more shot attempts and amazingly, his efficiency went up. He shot 43% from the field as a freshman and 49% as a sophomore, while converting at the same clip from downtown. He averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game after starting all 30 games that year.

Devin Vassell was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 Emerald Coast Classic as Florida State won the tournament. He dropped a career-high 27 points against Virginia Tech in February 2020 while shooting 7 of 7 from beyond the arc. He was named ACC Co-Player of the Week just before the game.

The 19-year-old ended the season with a spot on the Second-Team All-ACC. He led his team in scoring and rebounding and was second in assists, blocks and steals.

According to several scouting reports, Devin Vassell was considered a potential first-round pick midway through his sophomore season with the Seminoles. He was eventually picked 11th by the San Antonio Spurs in 2020.

How has Devin Vassell been since entering the NBA?

Just like in college, Devin Vassell has consistently improved in the NBA. He went from averaging 5.5 points, 0.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game in his rookie season to averaging 12.9 points, 1.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his sophomore season. He is now in his third year in the league and so far, is averaging 20.0 points, 3.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds.

Incredibly, his efficiency has improved as well despite increased shot attempts. He shot 34% from downtown in his rookie season, 36% in his sophomore season and now 41% from deep in his third year. He also improved his overall efficiency from the field, going from 40% to 42% to 45%.

Many are calling him a star in the making. As per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News, Gregg Popovich had this to say about his young wing:

"He's becoming a very confident shooter. He wants the ball, he's not afraid of the challenge. It's fun to watch him."