Why K-State is expecting big things from Florida basketball transfer Keyontae Johnson
Nearly two years have passed since Keyontae Johnson played in his last college basketball game, but you wouldn’t know it based on the way he has looked during preseason practices at Kansas State.
Ask the Wildcats what they think about Johnson, and they talk about the senior forward as if he is one of the best players in the Big 12.
“I don’t see how he isn’t,” K-State guard Markquis Nowell said. “He can do pretty much anything on the basketball court. He’s very skilled. He has a high basketball IQ. And he’s a big guard who can play any position from the one to the four. He can handle it, he can shoot it and he can play defense, too. I don’t know what else to say. He’s really, really good.”
To illustrate that point even further, junior forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin said the Wildcats give the ball to Johnson and get out of the way whenever they are desperate for a big play.
“He is one of those players who can go get a bucket whenever he wants one,” Tomlin said.
Johnson took an interesting journey to this point. The 6-foot-6 and 230-pound wing began his college career at Florida and starred with the Gators for more than two seasons, averaging 14 points and 7.1 rebounds as a sophomore on his way to first-team all-conference honors in the SEC.
Back then, he was a projected NBA lottery pick and the best returning player on a Gators team that was expected to do big things when he was a junior. But that season ended early for him when he had a health scare in a nonconference game against Florida State. He collapsed on the court because of a heart inflammation in December of 2020, and no one knew if he would make it through the night, let alone dribble a basketball again.
But he survived the incident and his passion for the game never died. Even though he was unable to return to the floor with the Gators, he pushed to continue playing somewhere.
Eventually, that led him to a new beginning at K-State.
“I never thought about quitting basketball,” Johnson said. “I mean, it was difficult for me at times not knowing what was going to happen next, but I got cleared to play and went from one good medical report to the next. I really wanted to play basketball again. So that was my main focus. I just prayed to God that everything would work out, and now I’m in a great situation now.”
When Johnson entered the NCAA transfer portal last spring, no one knew what to expect. Coaches would normally fight over a player of his caliber, but many were hesitant because of his health history.
He said he was restricted from any type of vigorous exercise while he was recovering at Florida. Team doctors wouldn’t allow him to do anything on the basketball court. He couldn’t even go on a jog, as it was strongly recommended that he keep his heart rate below 130 beats per minute.
Dieting was the only thing he could do to stay in shape. Many assumed he would be too rusty to contribute in a big way this season, even if he stayed healthy.
Not K-State coach Jerome Tang. He found success with a few other players who dealt with similar heart issues while he was an assistant at Baylor. So he was unafraid to take a chance on a player with Johnson’s talent.
He is glad he did.
“He’s very healthy right now,” Tang said. “He’s doing a great job and he hasn’t missed any time at all at practice. He is getting in better shape. He competes at a very high level. So I’m looking forward to him continuing to get better.”
K-State was picked to finish last in the preseason Big 12 poll this season, but the Wildcats are far from hopeless with a player like Johnson on their roster.
If he returns to his old form and a few things break right for K-State this year, it could surprise everyone and make a run at the NCAA Tournament the same way Iowa State did last season when the Cyclones hit the reset button with a new coach and a new roster.
“We are capable of making a run,” Johnson said. “There is a lot of talent on this team.”
There is obviously some concern that he will need time to adjust back to playing in live games. But rust hasn’t been an issue for Johnson yet.
“I don’t believe so,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I had some rough days when I first came back from summer workouts and stuff, but I have put in more work at practice and I have been super competitive with my teammates. I feel like I have got my mojo back.”
His teammates won’t argue with him about that.
“It doesn’t look like he has missed a beat,” Nowell said. “I wish I could take two years off basketball and come back and play as well as he is right now.”
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Why K-State is expecting big things from Florida basketball transfer Keyontae Johnson."