Kansas State's Keyontae Johnson medically cleared: Is the Wildcats' forward a 1st round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft?

Keyontae Johnson has been medically cleared to be selected in the 2023 NBA draft, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The NBA insider took to Twitter on Friday, stating:

"The NBA’s Fitness to Play panel has cleared Kansas State G/F Keyontae Johnson, which will allow for him to be selected in the June NBA Draft, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Ross Aroyo of @PrioritySports told ESPN."

Johnson, who played for the Florida Gators at the time, collapsed on the court in December 2020. He played his final season of college basketball as a member of the Kansas State Wildcats.

How did Keyontae Johnson perform in his college career?

Keyontae Johnson joined the Florida Gators as a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. As a true freshman, he averaged 8.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. The small forward followed that up by averaging 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.3 blocks per game in 2019-2020. Johnson was named first-team All-SEC.

He was named the SEC Preseason Player of the Year heading into his junior season. Johnson was off to a strong start, averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game through the Gators' first three matches. Four minutes into Florida's fourth game of the season, Johnson scarily collapsed on the court, with fears that his life and his basketball future were in danger.

He transitioned into a coaching role for the rest of the season as well as 2021-2022, with his only appearance coming in a ceremonial start on Senior Night. Following the season, Johnson joined the Kansas State Wildcats via the transfer portal.

He averaged 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.2 blocks per game last season. Johnson was named a third-team All-American, while also being named to the first-team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. He shot 51.9% from the field, 38.9% from three-point range and 71.8% from the free-throw line in his college career.

Will Keyontae Johnson be selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft?

Keyontae Johnson currently projects to be selected anywhere from late in the first round to the middle of the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Johnson is one of the most talented players in the draft and has the ability to score from all levels. His age, 23, and his career-threatening collapse will likely lead him to slide in the draft.

Johnson turned down a $5 million insurance payout prior to his collegiate return, meaning that he believes he will be able to stay on the court at the next level. While he is unlikely to be a lottery pick, the 2023 All-American could wind up landing on a contender in win-now mode as a late-first-round selection.