College Player Who Skipped NBA Draft Collapses After Team Timeout At Basketball Game

Florida Gators star Keyontae Johnson is in critical but stable condition after collapsing on the court during the first half of their game against rival Florida State Saturday, a report says. His collapse came after a timeout.

Johnson was given immediate medical attention and rushed to Tallahassee Memorial for evaluation, ESPN reported. He was one of several players on the Gators side who tested positive for COVID-19 in the summer.

Before the timeout, Johnson had just made a highlight play when he dunked the ball coming off an assist by teammate Tyree Appleby. He appeared fine and even celebrated with his teammates heading into the team huddle.

When the game was about to resume, Johnson was somewhere near the center court when he collapsed and fell face-first. Players on both sides can be seen in a video of the incident screaming for help and looking away from the scene. Florida was leading Florida State at the time, 11-3.

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton revealed that administrators gave the Gators an option to start or continue the game. The first was after the Johnson collapse and then again at halftime. Florida coach Mike White let his players make the call.

"Whatever they thought was in the best interest of their team, then I would accept it," Hamilton said. "My administration asked me, and I told them we would be OK with whatever they decided. It was my understanding that they wanted to play."

The Gators were not the same after what happened to Johnson. Florida State went on to win the game, 83-71.

Hamilton said that he did not see Johnson fall. Some of the Florida State players were crying after seeing Johnson’s collapse, others praying during the timeout.

"We're just all hopeful and praying that he's OK. If it affected our players in an emotional way, I can imagine what the situation was with his teammates,'' Hamilton said in a report from the Associated Press.

Johnson hails from Norfolk, Virginia, and averaged a team-high 14 points last season aside from 7.1 rebounds. He also led the Gators with 38 steals.

The junior forward is considered a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year. Last April, he skipped the NBA Draft, announcing on social media that he would be returning to play for the Gators.