Mikhail Torrance, Basketball Star Who Overcame Health Ailments, Dies at 37
Mikhail Torrance, a standout guard at the University of Alabama who spent most of his professional career overseas, died according to an announcement by the school. He was 37.
Torrance spent four years in the Crimson Tide backcourt (2006-10). The Mobile, Alabama native was passed over in the 2010 NBA Draft after concerns related to an enlarged heart.
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“That was the only reason,” Torrance told the Mobile Press-Register in 2010. “It had nothing to do with basketball. I had real good workouts.”
Although the cause of Torrance’s death has not been reported, he had been hospitalized due to a severe health scare once before.
In August 2010, not long after he signed a professional contract in Israel, Torrance collapsed on the court during a workout in Florida. The Associated Press reported at the time that Torrance was in critical condition following the incident.
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Not only did Torrance survive, but he went on to play professionally in Turkey, Canada, Finland, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico from 2011-15. He signed a four-day tryout with the NBA’s Miami Heat, but was not offered a contract.
Congressman Shomari Figures, who represents the Mobile district, noted Torrance’s passing on Facebook.
“Mikhail Torrance truly represented the best of Mobile,” Figures wrote. “Heartbroken for his wife, kids, and family. We were at UA together and I remember being so proud watching him and Brandon Hollinger represent Mobile together. He made all of us proud…especially when he dunked on that kid from Auburn on national TV! One of the best players to ever emerge from Mobile, but an even better person.”
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Torrance told the Press-Register that his heart underwent tests prior to his senior season at Alabama and was cleared to play. He thrived in his final collegiate season, averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.
The 2009-10 season was Torrance’s only season as a full-time starter in Tuscaloosa. He averaged a career high in minutes (32.6), led the SEC in free-throw percentage (.865), and earned second-team All-SEC recognition after the season.
At Mary G. Montgomery High School, in Eight Mile, Alabama, Torrance was a First-Team All-State selection in 2005 and 2006.
According to AL.com, Torrance worked as a real estate specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is survived by a wife, two daughters, and his parents, Michael and Leola Torrance.
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 1:52 PM.