Notebook: Breaking down the past week of Wisconsin’s spring ball practices
Insights from the Wisconsin Badgers' recent spring practices.
Florida State Seminoles have secured a commitment from Cincinnati wing Shon Abaev, a McDonald's All-American with three years of eligibility remaining. His addition is significant for the team as they look to enhance their roster under new head coach Luke Loucks.
The transfer portal window had barely cracked open before Luke Loucks and the Florida State Seminoles made their presence felt. Less than a week into his first full offseason as a head coach, Loucks secured a commitment from Cincinnati wing Shon Abaev, and the significance of the move extends well beyond a simple roster addition.
Abaev is the kind of prospect programs spend years chasing. A McDonald's All-American with top-30 recruiting pedigree, three years of eligibility remaining and South Florida roots, he checks every box Loucks needed to check with his first major portal swing. For fans trying to understand exactly who just committed to the Garnet and Gold, here are five things to know about the newest Seminole.
At first glance, Abaev's freshman line — 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 33.5% from the field and 25.7% from three — reads like a disappointing debut. However, understanding why requires looking at the offense around him. Cincinnati ran a system that rarely generated clean looks for its wings, forcing Abaev into a steady diet of contested, off-the-dribble attempts with little ball movement to create separation.
What it revealed in Abaev instead was something rarer: genuine shot-creation instincts at 6-foot-8. A lengthy ankle injury in conference play then cut his season short just as he was beginning to find his footing, with former UC head coach Wes Miller noting Abaev had started to grasp the winning side of the game before going down.
Abaev will enter Tallahassee as the fifth-highest-rated high school recruit to suit up for the Seminoles since 2003 — trailing only Scottie Barnes, Jonathan Isaac, Michael Snaer, and Dwayne Bacon. That is not a list that needs context; it speaks for itself. Barnes is an NBA All-Star. Isaac was a lottery pick. Bacon and Snaer were key contributors in the program's modern golden era under Leonard Hamilton.
The fact that Abaev belongs in that conversation, as a transfer, no less, arriving under a first-year head coach, underscores just how significant this recruitment is for the program's trajectory.
Born in Israel, Abaev moved to Florida at age four and spent his prep career at Miami Country Day School before transferring to Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale. South Florida is one of the most talent-rich recruiting corridors in the country, and landing a homegrown McDonald's All-American signals to that region that Tallahassee is a serious destination.
What adds another layer to this story is that basketball runs deep in the Abaev family. His brother, Eli Abaev, is a professional player currently competing for Elitzur Yavne B.C. in Israel's Liga Leumit, having previously played college basketball at Eastern Florida State College, Austin Peay State University, and Florida Gulf Coast University. For Shon, basketball isn't just a pursuit, it's a family identity, and that kind of background tends to produce players with a seriousness of purpose that goes beyond recruiting rankings.
Abaev was the No. 22 overall recruit in the class of 2025 in the 247Sports composite, and the second-highest-ranked recruit in Cincinnati program history in the modern rankings era, trailing only Lance Stephenson. He drew 26 scholarship offers from programs including Florida, Kansas, Auburn, and USC before choosing Cincinnati — meaning this wasn't a player who fell to the Seminoles.
Loucks went out and won a recruitment for a prospect who had elite options at every stage of his career. The fact that FSU closed over that kind of competition, in Loucks' first full offseason as a head coach, is as encouraging a sign as anything happening on the court right now.
Most portal pickups are one-year rentals. With three years of eligibility remaining and a skill set that remains largely untapped due to an injury-disrupted freshman year, he gives Loucks the rarest commodity in modern college basketball: a high-ceiling wing with time to grow into a featured role.
The combination of his creation ability at his length, his pedigree among the five best high school recruits in FSU history this century, and the runway ahead of him suggests this could be the defining addition of the Loucks era before it has even truly begun.
Follow us@FSUWireon X and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage ofFlorida Statenews, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU basketball: What to know about Shon Abaev
Shon Abaev is a McDonald's All-American and a top-30 recruit with three years of eligibility remaining, known for his potential and skills on the court.
In his freshman season at Cincinnati, Abaev averaged 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 33.5% from the field and 25.7% from three.
Abaev's commitment is crucial as he brings high-level talent and potential to the team, aligning with head coach Luke Loucks' strategy to strengthen the roster.
Cincinnati's offensive system limited Abaev's opportunities, forcing him into contested shots and reducing his overall shooting efficiency during his freshman year.
Insights from the Wisconsin Badgers' recent spring practices.

Millwall's Alex Neil tells players to have 'zero fear' in promotion race.

Damon Jones plans to plead guilty in NBA gambling scandal involving LeBron and Davis.
Rafael and Fabio Da Silva discuss Michael Carrick's potential as Manchester United's permanent manager. Despite his good performance as a temporary replacement, Carrick's future remains uncertain.
Big Ten announces first-ever volleyball tournament in 2026!
Former Auburn EDGE Amaris Williams sidelined for 2026 season due to torn ACL.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.