BRADENTON, FLA -- Mikhail Torrance, former University of Alabama basketball star who recently signed a contract to play professionally in Israel, was rushed to a hospital after collapsing at the start of a workout today. He was unconscious while being rushed to nearby Blake Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Fla.Torrance was on the court at the IMG Basketball Academy. He has been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at nearby Sarasota Memorial Hospital. A spokesperson said the hospital could not release any information on Torrance's condition. A spokesperson from IMG has not returned a phone message.
A source close to the family said that Torrance was in critical condition, breathing with the aid of a ventilator.
His parents are flying in from Birmingham on Friday night.
It was well known throughout his college career that Torrance had issues with his heart, but it never stopped him from playing. He believed the heart issue was why he went undrafted by the NBA in June, even though he had passed all physicals during the league's pre-draft period.
He played with the Miami Heat's Summer League team, but he was released before they started playing games in Las Vegas.
Torrance said several times he had "an athlete's heart," which he described as "just a little bit bigger,'' than most.
Torrance was only five minutes into a light workout of shooting when he suddenly collapsed, hitting his head on the floor when he fell.
Several trainers came to his aid immediately. Paramedics arrived on the scene soon afterward, and continued trying to revive him. Torrance soon stopped breathing, and he was taken by stretcher to a nearby hospital while paramedics continued giving him CPR.
Torrance was expected to be leaving soon for Israel, where he had signed signed a contract to play for powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Torrance had finished his senior year at Alabama this spring, averaging 32 minutes and 15 points per game.
He had been cleared to play in the NBA after attending the league's pre-draft camp in May.
He was part of the Miami Heat's Summer League team, but they opted not to bring him back for camp this fall, which prompted him to sign with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Torrance was not drafted, despite an outstanding career at Alabama. And he told several people he felt the reason he went undrafted was because of the issue with his heart.
Torrance had been working out at IMG since Wednesday.
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