Veteran FSU Basketball Forward to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal, Seek Waiver

This is an expected loss for Florida State, but maybe not the way they expected.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks argues with a referee about a call made. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at the Tucker Civic Center on Saturday, March 7, 2026. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida State is in the process of revamping its roster after a solid first season under new head coach Luke Loucks. Although the transfer portal doesn't open for another six days, a lot of players are announcing their intentions to enter.

One player FSU was already prepared to lose was senior forward Shahid (Shah) Muhammad, a reserve big man who has a lot of athleticism, but is very raw and needs a lot of developing despite being in college for four years now. However, he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per reports, as well.

Florida State desperately needed quality big man play this season, and Muhammad was never really good enough to contribute. He appeared in just 14 games, averaging 2.6 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 0.9 BPG. His best game came against Mississippi Valley State, when he recorded 7 points and 2 blocks on 3/3 shooting.

Muhammad initially signed with Seton Hall out of high school, but he appeared in just 10 games before transferring to the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college, for his sophomore season. He was a shot-blocking machine there, setting a program record with 3.5 blocks per game. However, that didn't translate to the next level, as he was mostly a reserve player at UMass before transferring to FSU this season.

As for the waiver he'll be applying for, it's unclear whether he'll be seeking a redshirt for playing only 10 games at Seton Hall, or if he can get one for playing a season in junior college. The junior college waiver is something FSU explored for Lajae Jones, but it was shot down.

Muhammad will be a better fit at a low/mid-major school where his athleticism can stand out and be impactful. Everyone is athletic in the ACC, so it's hard for him to be a quality player. The only reason Florida State took him was for depth, and even though they didn't trust Alier Maluk, they still wouldn't play Muhammad, instead opting for small-ball minutes with Chauncey Wiggins at center. Alex Steen and Wiggins hogged a lot of the center minutes this season because of the lack of faith in Maluk and Muhammad.

Who is Leaving Florida State?

Robert McCray V, Guard, Senior

Kobe MaGee, Guard, Senior

Lajae Jones, Wing, Senior

Chauncey Wiggins, Forward, Senior

Alex Steen, Forward, Senior

Shah Muhammad, Forward, Senior, Transferring

Cam Miles, Guard, Freshman, Transferring

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