Florida standout forward Keyontae Johnson has not played in a game since he experienced an in-game medical emergency that hospitalized him on Dec. 12, and now his season has officially come to an end. The Gators program released a statement on behalf of his family on Wednesday announcing an update on Johnson as he recovers, revealing that he will remain close with the team the rest of the season but has no plans to return to the court.
"Our focus now is on Keyontae's academics and continued recovery," the statement read. "He will spend the rest of the season focused on being the best coach and teammate he can be."
The statement also revealed that Johnson's condition, which landed him in the hospital in critical but stable condition, was "not related to or a result of a previous or current Covid diagnosis." That determination was made by University of Florida Health physicians and after consulting with local and national experts who reviewed imaging and testing in his case.
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 3, 2021
Johnson was released from the hospital on Dec. 22 and subsequently rejoined the team less than a week later in a coaching role after approaching Gators coach Mike White about helping the team scout.
Remarkably, Florida has a viable path to an at-large NCAA Tournament berth in the absence of Johnson, who entered the season as a potential first-round pick. It has won five of its last six games -- including a road win Saturday over then-No. 11 West Virginia in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge -- and is projected by Jerry Palm as a 5 seed in the Big Dance.
