West Virginia forward Akok Akok hospitalized, stable after collapsing on court during exhibition

Updated Oct. 28, 2023 7:59 a.m. ET

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia forward Akok Akok was hospitalized in stable condition after collapsing on the court during an exhibition game on Friday night.

Akok suffered a medical emergency early in the second half of the game with George Mason, West Virginia's athletic department said in a statement.

Medical personnel attended to Akok for several minutes before he was removed from the court on a stretcher. He was taken to a hospital for further observation.

“I got good news. He’s stable, and he’s responsive,” West Virginia interim coach Josh Eilert said at his postgame news conference. “He wanted to make sure he congratulated his teammates, and he’s in a good place right now. They’re probably going to be holding him overnight to do a lot of testing, but I never thought I’d have to deal with a situation like that. It’s heartbreaking, but I’m glad he’s still here with us."

The exhibition game for charity eventually resumed.

Eilert said he talked with George Mason coach Tony Skinn, who “left it up to me. I made sure the guys were in a good headspace, good enough headspace to continue the game. That was important, and they wanted to play so we decided it was best to move on, try to turn the page.”

Akok transferred to West Virginia after playing last season at Georgetown. He also spent three seasons at UConn.

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