(Photo : Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Florida Gators' forward Keyontae Johnson was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in the first half of their game against Florida State.
The 6-foot-5 junior cager is in critical but stable condition at a local hospital, a day after he fell unconscious on the court.
Keyontae Johnson, the Southeastern Conference's Preseason Player of the Year, passed out during the first half of the game. He was transferred to a stretcher and was carried to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
The forward's sudden collapse became even more heart-breaking, following Florida Gators' 83-71 loss against the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles.
University of Florida coach Mike White rushed to the hospital to look after Johnson's condition. He prioritized attending to Johnson rather than attending the post-game media meeting on Zoom.
The collapse happened after Keyontae Johnson successfully threw an alley-oop dunk orchestrated by Tyree Appleby, who finished the game with six points under 23 minutes of playing. It was only his second dunk of the game without knowing what was coming next to him.
The Florida Gators took the lead at 11-3, but FSU coach Leonard Hamilton whistled a timeout. It was the Gators' quick tempo and full-court press defense that caught Hamilton's attention to call a short break.
Florida torched the FSU earlier, forcing four turnovers and notching eight points-off turnovers where five of them came from Keyontae Johnson's hot shooting. Johnson scored five points out of them in four minutes. The Gators stretched the floor for a 50 percent shooting in the first half.
Johnson's dunk soared high, but after three minutes and 32 seconds, the 21-year-old wingman fainted.
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FSU coach Hamilton stirred the game clock after seeing that his team was trailing by points behind the Gators. It took him only one snap when he saw his players crying and praying before the Norfolk native.
The Florida Gators' bench burst into tears, and some covered their faces with towels due to the scary incident that had happened.
The University of Florida stated that the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Health Daver Werner and Johnson's parents were at the hospital. Gators coach White stayed with them overnight.
Scott Stricklin, Florida's Athletic Director, thanked the school and the medical personnel for the immediate emergency attention they gave to Johnson.
"We appreciate all the medical personnel who have helped Keyontae. Keyontae received terrific care on-site by the FSU Staff and at Tallahassee Memorial, which has worked in consultation with UF Health. We're glad his parents can be by his side, and they all feel the support of Gator Nation," Stricklin said.
Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 in the summer, according to the Associated Press. Before that, some of his teammates contracted the COVID-19. It was still unknown what triggered Johnson to collapse, but experts said that it could be a case of myocarditis.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. In some cases, under the most extreme levels, it can cause cardiac arrest. It was one of the leading deaths among young athletes accounted for 10-20 percent.
Johnson records a game-average of 19.7 markers. Fans look forward to Johnson's inclusion in the NBA mock draft next year.
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