March Madness: Keyontae Johnson continues to rise to stardom, two years after collapse

NBA prospect Keyontae Johnson has continued his remarkable recovery from a 2020 on-court collapse by leading Kansas State to the Sweet 16 at March Madness, three years after spending three days in a coma.

In December 2020, the 22-year-old wing was playing for the Florida Gators when he collapsed on the field while returning from a timeout. Johnson was immediately lifted off the ground on a stretcher before being rushed to hospital.

There, he remained in a medically induced coma for 72 hours. Before the timeout prior to his health issue, Johnson had dunked in transition. He, too, tested positive for COVID in the summer of 2020, with some social media users suggesting that his contraction of the virus had played a role in his collapse.

Until last year, he played four years for the Gators before opting to transfer to Manhattan, Kansas, for his final season of eligibility while he recovered on the sidelines.

Now, after scoring 13 points and recording four rebounds and three assists in the Wildcats’ 69-75 win over Kentucky on Sunday, Johnson has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament with Kansas State before the NBA draft. on June 22.

On December 12, 2020, Johnson collapsed after dunking against Florida State.

Johnson, the 2020 Southeastern Conference preseason player, collapsed coming out of a timeout and required emergency medical attention. He was later put into a coma for three days.

“It just shows the belief in myself and the hard work to prove myself that has gotten me to this point,” Johnson told Yahoo Sports before the start of March Madness.

‘Everything happens for a reason and everything is in God’s timing. I love this game and will never take it for granted. It’s the best feeling in the world, playing with my teammates, and I’m ready to go out every night and try to win a championship.

The forward, who can play small forward or shooting guard, has been a big contributor to Kansas State’s offense this season, racking up 17.5 points and collecting 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from three-point range. .

Johnson scored five points in four minutes before going down against Florida State in 2020

So far in this year’s March Madness, Johnson has averaged 15.5 points per game. The fifth-year collegiate player has also been lethal, drilling a step-back triple against Kentucky with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

Johnson’s production over the past year has amassed a host of new suitors, with the 6-foot-6, 230-pound wing earning first-team Big 12 and conference Newcomer of the Year honors.

Projected to be drafted into the NBA as an early second-round pick in mock drafts, Johnson could end up entering the league as a higher-ranked player, depending on his March Madness performances.

“I’ve had to be patient through everything,” Johnson said of his newfound success. I just trust the process.