Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson remains in critical but stable condition after he collapsed early in Saturday’s game against rival Florida State and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Coach Mike White canceled postgame interviews to join Johnson at Tallahassee Memorial as his players boarded a bus for the two-hour trip back to Gainesville. According to the school, White will remain with Johnson at the hospital overnight.
“Please keep praying for @Keyontae and his family. We all love him,” White tweeted Saturday.
Please keep praying for @Keyontae and his family. We all love him.
— Mike White (@MikeWhiteUF) December 12, 2020
The Gators were coming out of a timeout Saturday when Johnson collapsed on the court. He was given emergency medical attention and taken to the locker room.
Like most of his teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer. Although the cause of Johnson’s ailment was not immediately known, the coronavirus can lead to myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart muscle.
Before the incident, Johnson had just finished an alley-oop on a pass from Tyree Appleby. He was celebrating with teammates and walking toward the sideline before he collapsed.
Florida players were crying and hugging each other during the timeout, and a couple of them buried their faces in towels as White gathered his team in prayer.
Officials sent both teams to their locker rooms to regroup before the game resumed. The Gators weren’t the same afterward, as both teams seemed rattled. Florida (3-1) was ahead 11-3 after Johnson’s dunk. The 20th-ranked Seminoles (3-0) scored the next seven points en route to an 83-71 victory.
After the game, FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said he did not have a conversation with White about whether the game should continue after Johnson collapsed, but told assistants and administrators that the Gators could decide whether to resume play.
“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.”
Hamilton, who did not see Johnson fall, said some of his players were crying, and he questioned if they would be able to be effective in the game. The longtime Florida State coach said some players were on their knees praying during the timeout shortly after Johnson collapsed.
“Those types of things can affect you in some adverse ways,” Hamilton said. “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.”
Johnson, a junior forward from Norfolk, Virginia, is averaging 19.7 points per game this season and is considered an NBA prospect. He scored five points in four minutes Saturday.
“I know you’re fighting bro,” teammate Tre Mann tweeted long after the game ended. “God got you.”
Johnson is known for his versatility and floor leadership and is considered a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year. He averaged 14 points on 54% shooting from the floor and 7.1 rebounds as a sophomore.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
