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USC freshman Vince Iwuchukwu sustained major heart failure and collapsed during a team workout on July 1, he confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander on Thursday.
Iwuchukwu was hospitalized for a few days, and is now sidelined from all basketball-related activities indefinitely.
“This past summer I had a sudden cardiac arrest during a workout,” Iwuchukwu said in a statement to CBS Sports. “Since the event, I have received optimal care from the university and my personal expert medical team. Currently, I am adhering to the standard protocol designed to ensure my health and safety. I’m feeling great and my recovery and rehabilitation remain positive.”
USC confirmed the incident, but declined to comment.
The incident was similar to what happened to former Florida star Keyontae Johnson in 2020. Johnson collapsed during a game and was rushed to a hospital after the terrifying incident, where he was placed in a medically induced coma and in critical condition. He has since transferred to Kansas State, but he has not played since.
According to Norlander, however, Iwuchukwu was sitting down between drills when his incident took place.
It’s unclear if Iwuchukwu will be able to participate with the Trojans at all this season. The team started preseason workouts this week, and will open their season on Nov. 7 against Florida Gulf Coast.
Iwuchukwu, a 7-foot, five-star recruit out of Santa Clarita, California, was the third-best center in his class and the 16th overall, per Rivals.com. He held offers from Baylor, Kansas, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas, Texas Tech and UCLA, among others, before landing with USC.
The Trojans are coming off a 26-8 season, though they fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament earlier this year.
