by Corey Clark, USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – It was a scary sight for players, coaches and fans.

With 3:59 left to play in Saturday’s 56-36 loss to Virginia, Florida State forward Terrance Shannon hit his head on the side of Cavalier forward Evan Nolte’s body and fell to the floor.

Where he laid for almost 10 minutes, before being placed on a stretcher and transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center.

“He has a neck sprain,” said Florida State team doctor Bill Thompson on Saturday night. “And he has improved since the time of the game to the time we got to the hospital. And I’ll know further in the morning.”

Thompson was on the court with Shannon and rode with him in the ambulance to the hospital.

“He had weakness in his upper and lower extremities,” Thompson said. “That’s why we took all those precautions. But he made a lot of improvement even from the court to the ambulance and to the hospital.

“So that’s all great news.”

Shannon, who suffered from a neck injury described as a “stinger” earlier in the year, was going to have more precautionary tests done before being released from the hospital.

Thompson and FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton both said Shannon was coherent and lucid while he was laying on the court. And FSU head trainer Sam Lunt said the FSU junior was able to lightly squeeze a fist and wiggle his toes on request.

Florida State forward Okaro White was standing right next to Shannon when he was injured.

“It was very scary,” he said. “When he started falling he didn’t even try to brace himself. It’s very scary. Especially when he’s not moving like that. Normally you go over there and I would try to get him up, but I could tell it was serious.”

On Saturday evening Florida State assistant coach Corey Williams was driven over to the hospital to stay with Shannon. The coaches were in constant contact with Thompson at the hospital and the University of Virginia team doctor while the team prepared to bus back to the airport.

As the FSU players came … [For more on Florida State player Terrance Shannon carried off on a stretcher, click here.]