Florida State Loses Center Shabazz

Florida State center Karim Shabazz has left the team to be with his ailing mother, Seminole Coach Steve Robinson said.

“Being her oldest son, he felt that he needed to be the provider in her daily life as well as be there for his younger brother,” Robinson said. “It is a tremendous blow to our team and program, but mostly I feel bad for Karim.”

Shabazz, a sophomore from New York, started every game for Florida State (3-2) this season. He was averaging 31 minutes a game with 9.2 points and team-highs of eight rebounds and three blocked shots.