Tag: Keyontae Johnson

Nebraska Basketball: First-Team All-Sec Forward Visits Cornhuskers

A former First-Team All-SEC forward is visiting the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Former Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson is visiting the Nebraska Cornhuskers on August 17, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

Johnson’s final four schools are Nebraska, Western Kentucky, Kansas State, and Memphis per Tipton.

Johnson was a First-Team All-Sec selection in 2020, as he averaged 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 54.4% from the field.

Johnson got off to a hot start in 2021. Across four games, he averaged 16.0 points per game while shooting 64.1% from the field and 42.9% from three. Unfortunately, he collapsed on the court on December 12, 2020, against Florida State. He was subsequently hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma.

He entered the transfer portal on May 1, 2022.

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PHOTOS: A look back at Florida basketball’s 2021-22 roster

Take a quick look back at the men’s basketball roster last season.

Florida basketball’s 2021-22 campaign is well in the books — and speaking of books, the end of the season also brought the end of the [autotag]Mike White[/autotag] chapter of the program’s history. With former San Francisco Dons head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] now at the helm the Gators will be looking to rebuild in the coming seasons.

The roster that White put together in his final year in Gainesville, while very much a Frankenstein’s monster type of creation out of necessity was also loaded with experience and enough talent to spare. However, after an early honeymoon period in which it appeared that the team had coalesced around its seniority, things quickly fell apart and never quite found their footing afterward.

After a heart-breaking opening-round loss in overtime to the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC Tournament, the Gators took their invite to the NIT sans White where they beat the Iona Gaels in the first round but then took a spanking at the hands of the Xavier Musketeers to end the season.

Take a look back below at the 2021-22 roster including [autotag]Keyontae Johnson[/autotag], who got in a ceremonial start despite being medically inactive while also serving as a de facto bench coach.

Sports Illustrated lists Florida’s Keyontae Johnson among the best in transfer portal

Even though he hasn’t played in over a year, Keyontae Johnson is still considered one of the best transfers on the market.

Gator Nation received the shocking news on Sunday that forward [autotag]Keyontae Johnson[/autotag] would look to make his return to the college basketball court next season and that it wouldn’t be at the University of Florida. Johnson entered the transfer portal and immediately became one of the most interesting names on the market.

Sports Illustrated couldn’t help but include Johnson on its list of top transfers, placing him at No. 25 out of 25 on the list because of the obvious uncertainty surrounding his medical eligibility. Even with Johnson not having played for over a year, it makes sense that some teams would look to clear him and take a chance by adding him to the roster. He was named the Southeastern Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year in 2020 before his collapse at Florida State in December and was playing at an elite level.

Of course, there’s the complication of Johnson’s reported insurance policy that could pay upwards of $5 million if he doesn’t end up playing basketball again.

On basketball ability alone, Johnson would be the clear top player on this list. But Johnson was never cleared by Florida’s medical staff to return to action after he collapsed on the floor during a December 2020 game against Florida State that left the Gators star in a coma. Any school bringing in Johnson would need the support of its medical staff.

It would be a risky move for any team that did choose to bring him on, but the payoff could be enormous. He was averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 assists per game as a sophomore before his career took a pause. There aren’t any obvious destinations for Johnson just yet, but one would think at least a few Power Five programs are putting together a collective offer for him while talking to their medical team.

If Johnson does get cleared, he could end up being one of the most captivating stories in the country over the next year or so in college basketball.

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Former Gator Tyree Appleby headed to Wake Forest for final season

Transfer guard Tyree Appleby has found a new home through the transfer portal.

Two days after graduating from the University of Florida, transfer guard [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag] has found his new home for the 2022-23 season. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Appleby is headed to Wake Forest to close out his college career.

This is the second transfer of Appleby’s career, the first coming in 2019 when he arrived at Florida from Cleveland State. He’s served as the team’s starting point guard at several points while in Gainesville and averaged 10.9 points and 3.7 assists per game in 2021-22. He likes to take the three-point shot and has hit them at a 35.5% clip over his career. Perhaps his most memorable moment in the Orange and Blue came on a deep buzz-beater to beat Ohio State in Fort Myers last November.

The Demon Deacons are adding an experienced and gritty leader after a season where they finished 25-10 and as a No. 2 seed in the NIT. The hope is that Appleby can help get them to that NCAA Tournament berth. Wake Forest also brought on Delaware’s Andrew Carr and Marist’s Jao Ituka through the portal.

Florida still has three players in the transfer portal, [autotag]Keyontae Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Elijah Kennedy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tuongthach Gatkek[/autotag]. None are expected to return which leaves first-year head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] with three open scholarship spots on the roster.

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BREAKING: Florida F Keyontae Johnson enters transfer portal, per On3

Keyontae Johnson might play college basketball again, but it won’t be at Florida.

Nearly a year and a half after collapsing on the court mid-game, forward [autotag]Keyontae Johnson[/autotag] is looking to make a return to the hardwood. To do so, Johnson has entered the transfer portal in search of a university that will clear him after serving as a player-coach of sorts for the Florida Gators over the 2021-22 season, as reported by On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Over the season, reports indicated that Johnson was still seeking a path back to basketball and that Florida’s medical team didn’t anticipate clearing him in the near future. That adds a bit of context to Johnson’s return and final moment on the court for the Gators, which came on March 5 in a ceremonial start against Kentucky. Johnson embraced his teammates, literally kissed the court of the O’Connell Center goodbye and walked off the court to a standing ovation from the Florida faithful.

At the time, most expected it to be his final appearance in a college jersey, but now things have changed. There’s no guarantee Johnson is cleared but it wouldn’t be the first time a doctor overruled another in a situation like this. Johnson was the Southeastern Conference’s preseason player of the year in 2020 and averaged 14 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore the season prior. He’s likely to be a hot commodity on the market if he can get the clearance he desires.

It’s a bittersweet moment for Florida fans. Johnson was as likable as they come, but the risk was too high for the Gators to play him again. It’s hard not to root for someone who has faced such adversity, even if it hurts your favorite team in the process.

Again, there’s no guarantee that Johnson even makes it to another school. He has a $5 million insurance policy that’s ready to be cashed in if he doesn’t make the NBA and can fall back on that at any time. Competitors like Johnson aren’t wired to just give up though, so expect Johnson’s name to be a popular one over the offseason.

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Keyontae Johnson, quien no ha estado en la cancha desde su colapso en 2020, es titular para Florida en Senior Day

Florida estaba listo para el último juego de la temporada este sábado ante los Kentucky Wildcats en Gainesville, y tenía una cara nueva en la lista de inicio. Una de alguien que no ha iniciado un solo juego esta temporada o aparecido en uno en más …

Florida estaba listo para el último juego de la temporada este sábado ante los Kentucky Wildcats en Gainesville, y tenía una cara nueva en la lista de inicio.

Una de alguien que no ha iniciado un solo juego esta temporada o aparecido en uno en más de un año: el delantero Keyontae Johnson.

Johnson no ha recibido el alta médica para jugar desde aquel escalofriante momento en dic 12, 20202, de visita contra Florida State. Temprano en el Partido colapsó en la cancha y tuvo que ser transportado a un hospital loca en Tallahassee pro tres días y puesto en un como inducido.  Para el 15 de diciembre estaba despierto y consciente.

Traducción.- El corazó y nalma de los Gators. @Keyontae

Johnson, quien sigue siendo parte del equipo de Florida y al que se refieren cariñosamente como “Entrenador Key”, fue parte de la selección de primer equipo All-SEC durante la pretemporada 2020-21. Se esperaba que fuera uno de los mejores jugadores en la conferencia e incluso el país. Pero esos planes se vinieron abajo en el segundo partido de la temporada.

Su diagnóstico exacto continua sin conocerse de acuerdo a sus deseos y de su familia, pero ESPN reportó en noviembre que podría recibir una indemnización por su seguro de $5 millones de dólares si no logra tener una carrera profesional.

Independientemente del camino que elija Johnson, fue una manera especial para que un jugador especial terminara una carrera en Florida que finalizó antes de tiempo por circunstancias especiales.

Keyontae Johnson, who hasn’t seen the court since scary collapse in 2020, makes 1 final start for Florida on Senior Day

One of the coolest things you’ll see today.

When Florida got set for the tip-off in Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Kentucky Wildcats in Gainesville, it had a new face in the starting lineup.

One who hasn’t started a game this season, or even appeared in one in more than a year: forward Keyontae Johnson.

Johnson hasn’t been medically cleared to play since a terrifying moment on Dec. 12, 2020, on the road against Florida State. Early in the contest, he collapsed on the court and had to be taken to a local hospital in Tallahassee for three days and placed in a medically-induced coma. By Dec. 15, he was awake and responsive.

Though his basketball future is still on hold, he got to make one more start at the O’Connell Center on Senior Day.

He was officially listed as a member of the starting five, and he got to receive the tip-off to great fanfare from the crowd in attendance before kissing the court and hugging every player on the court, as well as Wildcats coach John Calipari.

Johnson, who remains a fixture of Florida’s team and is endearingly referred to as “Coach Key,” entered the 2020-21 season as a preseason First Team All-SEC selection. He was expected to be one of the best players in the conference, if not the entire country. But those plans were put on hold in just the second game of the season.

His exact diagnosis remains unclear, per his and his family’s wishes, but it was reported by ESPN in November that he could receive a potential $5 million insurance pay-out if he isn’t cleared to pursue a professional career.

Regardless of the route Johnson opts to go down, it was a special way for a special player to finish a Florida career that was cut short due to extenuating circumstances.

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WATCH: Florida’s Keyontae Johnson makes ceremonial start on Senior Day

Gator Nation got to say goodbye to Keyontae Johnson on Senior Day with a ceremonial start and standing ovation.

It’s been 448 days since Florida’s Keyontae Johnson suited up in a Gators uniform on game day, but that streak won’t make it to day 449.

Johnson took the floor Saturday afternoon for a ceremonial start on Florida’s Senior Day game against Kentucky. Colin Castleton won an uncontested tip-off and sent the ball straight to No. 11 before a timeout was called. Johnson took a moment to soak in the standing ovation he received and then hugged all of the players on the court before taking his place on the bench.

It’s been said many times this season, but Johnson truly is the heart and soul of this Gators team.

Johnson collapsed last season in a game against Florida State and hasn’t played since. He’s played the role of a player-coach in 2022 as he remains loyal to the team, and this was the perfect way to honor him.

He’ll graduate and May and while Florida doctors haven’t cleared him, that doesn’t mean others won’t. If his playing days are over, coaching seems to be a possibility for him in the future. Whether it be at Florida or any other program in the country, Johnson’s passion for the game would be put to good use as an assistant.

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REPORT: Keyontae Johnson to get ceremonial ‘start’ versus Kentucky

We can’t wait to see this amazing gesture from coach Mike White and Florida for their forward Keyontae Johnson.

It’s been a long road for Florida forward Keyontae Johnson after he collapsed on Dec. 14, 2020, versus the Florida State Seminoles. Since then, he hasn’t stepped foot on the floor for the Gators but has served as a player-coach role for the last two seasons. On his senior day, the Gainesville Sun’s Graham Hall reported Johnson will get a ceremonial start versus the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

It likely means that Johnson will take the floor for the tip-off and then will be subbed out shortly afterward, giving the Florida crowd at Stephen C. O’Connell Center a chance to cheer him on one last time.

It’s a beautiful gesture from the Gators and coach Mike White toward Johnson. Before his collapse, he was arguably the team’s best player in 2019 and 2020. Media members covering schools around the SEC believed in his talents and voted him Preseason SEC Player of the Year prior to the start of the 2020 season.

It’ll be a can’t miss moment for Gators fans. They can watch it on CBS Saturday at 2 p.m. EST.

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Aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State),  Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame),  Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).

Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report