Florida State University Athletics
Friday, December 22
Tallahassee, Fla.
7:00 p.m.
Florida State
vs
Winthrop
Florida State's Sola Adebisi: Focused And Disciplined
12/21/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Not that he'd ever complain about it, but Sola Adebisi's career at Florida State University hasn't really gone how he thought it would.
It's been everything he could have hoped for and more.
As Adebisi and the Seminoles prepare for their game against Winthrop on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center, the junior computer science major has been a member of the Florida State basketball team for the last two season and needs just 15 hours to complete his degree requirements. Adebisi will earn his degree from Florida State this summer.
Adebisi's goal when he earns his degree in one of the hardest disciplines on campus is to pursue a career in cybersecurity. He'll be following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Toluwani and Kayode, who ironically introduced him to the game of basketball when he was just four years old.
Toluwani, the oldest of the three Adebisi brothers, attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate and currently attends the School of Medicine at Morehouse University in Atlanta. Kayode the middle brother in the family, attended The Ohio State University as an undergraduate and is pursuing a degree in Dentistry at Columbia University in New York City.
Sola, the youngest of the three brothers whose parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 1995, is thriving both academically and athletically as a second-year member of the Seminole basketball team. Known as a very athletic player who is willing to challenge bigger players on the court, he has played some very important minutes for Leonard Hamilton during his career in the garnet and gold.
"It feels really good to be able to represent my university and to stand on the shoulders of the players who made this program what it is today," said Adebisi. "What I enjoy the most about being a member of the basketball team is the camaraderie I have been able to develop with my teammates."
Adebisi has earned playing time in seven ACC games including Florida State's victories over Louisville, Notre Dame, and Miami during his first season. He provided valuable minutes in Florida State's games against Clemson and Miami as he helped the Seminoles recover from a 25-point deficit to win on the road. Florida State's 25-point comeback victory against the Hurricanes was the largest in the ACC during the 2023-24 season.
This year he's earned playing time in the Seminoles' victory over No. 18 Colorado in the Championship game of the Sunshine Slam and in wins over both Kennesaw State and Central Michigan.
Adebisi's basketball career at Florida State was almost over before it ever began.
After choosing Florida State over Ohio State largely because of the nationally recognized Department of Computer Science (and the weather, of course), Adebisi arrived on campus during the fall of 2020.
His first fall on campus was not quite what he expected.
While playing in a pick-up basketball game with other students in the Leach Student Center, he went up to block a shot and came down awkwardly on his side. He didn't realize it then, but he'd spend the remainder of his freshman year at home in Milton, Ga., taking classes remotely and re-gaining the strength to walk in order to get himself back on the basketball court.
"After the injury happened and I was on the floor, but I thought I was completely fine," said Adebisi. "One of my friends took me to the hospital. As soon as I told my parents they drove down right away. They came to pick me up that night."
When he arrived back on campus in the fall of 2021, he realized that there were a number of doors open to him because of his skill as a basketball player. One of those doors led him to become a member of the scout team for the nationally ranked Florida State women's basketball team.
"It was interesting being able to help the women's team prepare for their games," said Adebisi. "It allowed me to be around the FSU Basketball facility and to interact with Coach Hamilton and many of the men's players."
After a season helping the Seminole women prepare for an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, his brother Kayode convinced Adebisi to contact Associate Head Coach Stan Jones and inquire about joining the Seminole men's team.
Adebisi's walk-on process was simple.
"For me, it was a three-week evaluation period," said Adebisi. "I was practicing and the coaches were evaluating how I was doing, how I was adjusting, and how I would feel on the team. After those three weeks were up I was officially on the roster."
Once he was added to the roster in November of 2022, he knew he'd be able to push his new teammates to become better players every day.
Adebisi gets his confidence from his parents and both of his brothers.
"My parents have always pushed me to do well academically," said Adebisi. "My brothers' accomplishments have always challenged me to do well in everything I've want to do."
What Adebisi wants to do now is to be a leader on the basketball team, help the Seminoles continue to win games, and be disciplined in his life both as a member of the basketball team and in the classroom.
"You have to apply discipline to all aspects of your life," said Adebisi, who despite his height (he's 6-6) and playing ability never dreamed of playing basketball at the Division I level following a standout high school career. "If you can stay disciplined in something as basic as making your bed every morning that helps with all the other things along the road."
Adebisi has persevered throughout his life to achieve many of the goals he has set for himself. He's a member of the Division I basketball team in the ACC, and he'll earn his degree from one of the top academic institutions in the nation.
"I will be most proud of earning my degree from Florida State University," said Adebisi. "The basketball coaches have taught me so much about becoming a man. The most important thing Coach Ham and Coach Jones have taught me is how to communicate effectively. To be a successful member of a team and a successful professional, you have to know how to communicate with so many people. It's simple, really."
For Adebisi, it's just one of the things he's learned that he wasn't expecting as a successful student-athlete at Florida State University.
It's been everything he could have hoped for and more.
As Adebisi and the Seminoles prepare for their game against Winthrop on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center, the junior computer science major has been a member of the Florida State basketball team for the last two season and needs just 15 hours to complete his degree requirements. Adebisi will earn his degree from Florida State this summer.
Adebisi's goal when he earns his degree in one of the hardest disciplines on campus is to pursue a career in cybersecurity. He'll be following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Toluwani and Kayode, who ironically introduced him to the game of basketball when he was just four years old.
Toluwani, the oldest of the three Adebisi brothers, attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate and currently attends the School of Medicine at Morehouse University in Atlanta. Kayode the middle brother in the family, attended The Ohio State University as an undergraduate and is pursuing a degree in Dentistry at Columbia University in New York City.
Sola, the youngest of the three brothers whose parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 1995, is thriving both academically and athletically as a second-year member of the Seminole basketball team. Known as a very athletic player who is willing to challenge bigger players on the court, he has played some very important minutes for Leonard Hamilton during his career in the garnet and gold.
"It feels really good to be able to represent my university and to stand on the shoulders of the players who made this program what it is today," said Adebisi. "What I enjoy the most about being a member of the basketball team is the camaraderie I have been able to develop with my teammates."
Adebisi has earned playing time in seven ACC games including Florida State's victories over Louisville, Notre Dame, and Miami during his first season. He provided valuable minutes in Florida State's games against Clemson and Miami as he helped the Seminoles recover from a 25-point deficit to win on the road. Florida State's 25-point comeback victory against the Hurricanes was the largest in the ACC during the 2023-24 season.
This year he's earned playing time in the Seminoles' victory over No. 18 Colorado in the Championship game of the Sunshine Slam and in wins over both Kennesaw State and Central Michigan.
Adebisi's basketball career at Florida State was almost over before it ever began.
After choosing Florida State over Ohio State largely because of the nationally recognized Department of Computer Science (and the weather, of course), Adebisi arrived on campus during the fall of 2020.
His first fall on campus was not quite what he expected.
While playing in a pick-up basketball game with other students in the Leach Student Center, he went up to block a shot and came down awkwardly on his side. He didn't realize it then, but he'd spend the remainder of his freshman year at home in Milton, Ga., taking classes remotely and re-gaining the strength to walk in order to get himself back on the basketball court.
"After the injury happened and I was on the floor, but I thought I was completely fine," said Adebisi. "One of my friends took me to the hospital. As soon as I told my parents they drove down right away. They came to pick me up that night."
When he arrived back on campus in the fall of 2021, he realized that there were a number of doors open to him because of his skill as a basketball player. One of those doors led him to become a member of the scout team for the nationally ranked Florida State women's basketball team.
"It was interesting being able to help the women's team prepare for their games," said Adebisi. "It allowed me to be around the FSU Basketball facility and to interact with Coach Hamilton and many of the men's players."
After a season helping the Seminole women prepare for an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, his brother Kayode convinced Adebisi to contact Associate Head Coach Stan Jones and inquire about joining the Seminole men's team.
Adebisi's walk-on process was simple.
"For me, it was a three-week evaluation period," said Adebisi. "I was practicing and the coaches were evaluating how I was doing, how I was adjusting, and how I would feel on the team. After those three weeks were up I was officially on the roster."
Once he was added to the roster in November of 2022, he knew he'd be able to push his new teammates to become better players every day.
Adebisi gets his confidence from his parents and both of his brothers.
"My parents have always pushed me to do well academically," said Adebisi. "My brothers' accomplishments have always challenged me to do well in everything I've want to do."
What Adebisi wants to do now is to be a leader on the basketball team, help the Seminoles continue to win games, and be disciplined in his life both as a member of the basketball team and in the classroom.
"You have to apply discipline to all aspects of your life," said Adebisi, who despite his height (he's 6-6) and playing ability never dreamed of playing basketball at the Division I level following a standout high school career. "If you can stay disciplined in something as basic as making your bed every morning that helps with all the other things along the road."
Adebisi has persevered throughout his life to achieve many of the goals he has set for himself. He's a member of the Division I basketball team in the ACC, and he'll earn his degree from one of the top academic institutions in the nation.
"I will be most proud of earning my degree from Florida State University," said Adebisi. "The basketball coaches have taught me so much about becoming a man. The most important thing Coach Ham and Coach Jones have taught me is how to communicate effectively. To be a successful member of a team and a successful professional, you have to know how to communicate with so many people. It's simple, really."
For Adebisi, it's just one of the things he's learned that he wasn't expecting as a successful student-athlete at Florida State University.
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