Alabi officially declares for NBA Draft

Florida State University Head Basketball Coach Leonard Hamilton announced that sophomore center Solomon Alabi a two-time ACC All-Defensive team selection and the fourth ranked all-time leader in blocked shots at Florida State, will submit his name as an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft. Alabi has played on two NCAA Tournament teams at Florida State and helped lead the Seminoles to the championship game of the ACC Tournament in 2009 for the first time in school history. In 77 games as a Seminole, he averages 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and a school record 2.1 blocked shots per game.

"Solomon is going to finish his classes this semester and continue working hard to improve his standing for the upcoming NBA Draft," said Hamilton. "He has approached this process with a very open mind; he loves Florida State University and enjoys being a member of our basketball team. Solomon's desire to mature and improve as both a person and as a basketball player has led him to think about what his future could hold for him and the NBA is something that is certainly within his reach. He has the full support of our coaching staff in making this decision."

Alabi will continue to go to class and will finish his semester academically. The final day of class for the spring semester at Florida State is April 23 with final exams concluding on April 30.

Alabi is in good standing academically and is fully on track to receive his degree in international affairs in May of 2011.

"The sport of basketball is very important to me and I want to continue my growth in the sport," said Alabi. "Coach Hamilton and all of the coaches have been great to me ever since they began recruiting me. Because of my coaches, my teammates, the student body and all of the Seminole fans, Florida State is a place that I will always call home. I am also making this decision so that I can help support my family who has always been very supportive of me in every decision that I have made. Playing in the NBA has been a goal of mine for some time and I feel now is the time for me to work hard to realize that goal.

Alabi was an All-ACC Third Team selection in 2009-10 as he led the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament and a third place finish in the ACC standings while averaging a team leading 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. He led the Seminoles and the ACC for the second consecutive season with a career-high 75 blocked shots and a career-high and school record 2.3 blocked shots per game average.

He received the second highest number of votes for the ACC All-Defensive team in 2010 as he helped the Seminoles rank as one of the top defensive teams in the nation. Florida State ranked first nationally in field goal percentage defense and 10th in blocked shots per game as it finished with a 22-10 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the ACC.