Massachusetts’ Camby Collapses Before Game

Marcus Camby, star center for the top-ranked University of Massachusetts basketball team, was listed in stable condition Sunday night after he collapsed six minutes before his team’s game against St. Bonaventure at Olean, N.Y.

Camby, arguably the nation’s best player, was taken by ambulance to Olean General Hospital after he fell to the floor in a corridor near the team’s locker room shortly after the Minutemen completed pregame warmups.

“He’s still being evaluated,” hospital spokesperson Melody Stuckey said when reached by phone Sunday night. “He remains very stable and alert. All other information will be coming from UMass.”

Stuckey would not comment as to whether Camby has heart problems or whether the player would be held overnight for observation, saying only that the situation was being evaluated. Camby reportedly never stopped breathing.

The Associated Press, quoting a hospital source, said Camby underwent a CAT scan and that the player wanted to know the score of the game he missed, won by Massachusetts, 65-52, to improve its record to 14-0.

“He’s doing fine now,” St. Bonaventure team physician Dr. Ed Griffin told the Associated Press. “He’s alert and knows where he is.”

It was not immediately known what caused Camby to collapse. The Associated Press reported Camby was taking over-the-counter cough medicine for a chest cold.

A 21-year-old junior from Hartford, Conn., Camby was taken by ambulance to the hospital accompanied by Massachusetts Coach John Calipari.

“He had a pulse,” Griffin said. “He didn’t appear to have any life-threatening problem at that moment, but he was unresponsive to verbal commands for approximately 10 minutes.”

Camby reportedly responded “slowly but appropriately” while in the ambulance.

Later, Calipari said: “An incident like this puts things into the perspective they should be in. Basketball is not life or death.”

Unaware of what had happened, St. Bonaventure fans began chanting “Where is Marcus?” when Camby did not appear on the court. They stopped at the request of arena security.

Several Massachusetts players cried during a pregame prayer for Camby, but the mood was reported to have lightened after players emerged from postgame hospital visits with Camby.

Camby, 6 feet 11, is averaging 20.9 points and 7.5 rebounds and has established himself as one of the premier big men in college basketball.

He would likely be a top-10 draft choice next June should he forgo his senior year and turn professional.

Camby had been almost unstoppable in two previous games, scoring a career-high 38 points against Dayton and 34 in an overtime victory against St. Joseph’s.

Camby’s collapse comes four days after a Massachusetts swimmer, Greg Menton, died of an apparent heart attack during a meet at Dartmouth College. Menton, 20, a junior from Dundee, Ore., had just finished swimming two events.

On Jan. 27, 1994, Massachusetts junior guard Michael Williams collapsed on the floor during game at Cincinnati. Tests revealed no cardiac problems and he was cleared to play two weeks later. Doctors attributed the collapse to a respiratory infection and dehydration.

On July 27, 1993, Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics died of heart failure while shooting baskets at Brandeis University gymnasium in Massachusetts, three months after he collapsed during an NBA playoff game.

On March 4, 1990, Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount University died of heart failure after collapsing during a West Coast Conference tournament game.