Former Alabama basketball standout Mikhail Torrance, a second-team All-SEC selection who overcame a life-threatening heart incident during his playing career, has died. He was 37.
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Alabama's men's basketball program announced Torrance's death Thursday. A cause of death was not immediately released.
Torrance played for the Crimson Tide from 2006-10 under coaches Mark Gottfried and Anthony Grant. As a senior, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors.
Gottfried remembered Torrance as both a talented player and an exceptional person.
"I loved his potential as a player, but I really loved him as a person," Gottfried told AL.com. "He was just a great young guy."
A native of Eight Mile, Alabama, near Mobile, Torrance starred at Mary G. Montgomery High School, where he was a two-time first-team all-state selection and one of the state's top recruits.
Thoughts and prayers to the Torrance family with the loss of Mikhail Torrance. pic.twitter.com/SQn0qTsi23
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) June 18, 2026
During his college career, Torrance was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, a condition that required monitoring throughout his time at Alabama.
In 2010, shortly after his collegiate career ended, Torrance suffered a serious medical emergency when he collapsed before a workout for professional scouts in Florida. He spent time in a medically induced coma before recovering and eventually returning to basketball.
Torrance went on to play professionally in North America and Europe from 2011-15, competing in leagues in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Turkey and Finland.
After retiring from basketball, he worked as a real estate specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
