UCF’s John Bol helped off court after collapsing and clutching his chest in Big 12 game

By Canadian Press on March 12, 2026.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — UCF’s John Bol fell to the floor clutching his chest and the 7-foot-2 sophomore from South Sudan had to be helped to the locker room during the second half of the Knights’ game against Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday.

The exact nature of the issue was unclear, but Bol appeared to be struggling to catch his breath on the bench before checking back into the game. When a foul was called and play stopped, Bol dropped to the floor in the corner of the court, and members of the UCF staff spent several minutes with him before helping him walk unsteadily to the locker room.

Bol had 13 points and eight rebounds while playing 31 minutes in an overtime win over Cincinnati in the second round Wednesday. He had five points and six rebounds in 17 minutes against the Wildcats before leaving with about 12 minutes to go.

Bol spent his freshman year at Ole Miss before transferring to UCF. He is averaging six points and 5.5 rebounds this season.

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The Associated Press

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