Keyontae Johnson, the University of Florida’s leading scorer and rebounder this season, was hospitalized after collapsing on the court in a frightening scene Saturday. The 6’5” junior fell to the floor moments after delivering an emphatic dunk early in the first half.
Play resumed shortly after Johnson was taken off on a stretcher, but his shaken teammates never recovered as the visibly distraught Gators went on to suffer their first loss of the season, falling 83-71 to Florida State. Coach Mike White will stay behind in Tallahassee, where Johnson is reportedly in "critical but stable" condition, while the rest of the team returns home to Gainesville. According to the Associated Press, Johnson's parents are flying down from Virginia to see their son, who is expected to remain at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital overnight. “Please keep praying for Keyontae and his family,” White shared on Twitter after the game. “We all love him.”
Along with many of his teammates, the 21-year-old Johnson battled COVID this summer. As we’ve seen in other athletes including Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, the coronavirus can lead to heart complications such as myocarditis.
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton did not consult the Gators about whether the game should continue following Johnson’s on-court collapse—an NHL game was abandoned under similar circumstances when defenseman Jay Bouwmeester went into cardiac arrest on the Blues’ bench earlier this year—leaving that decision to White and his team.
"It was totally up to them and whatever they thought was in the best interest of their team. I told them I would accept it,” said Hamilton via ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “I did not see what happened, but it had a real dramatic effect on my team.”
An All-SEC performer and former four-star recruit from Norfolk, Virginia, Johnson entered Saturday averaging 19.7 points and six rebounds per game. Prior to his health emergency, USA Today and Bleacher Report had both considered him a likely first-round pick in next year’s draft. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for one of the brightest talents in college hoops.
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