Vincent Iwuchukwu has the heart of a Trojan

“I heard, ‘Vince, don’t die on me.’ And that’s when I was like, what the hell are you talking about?” 

On July 1, shockwaves were sent through the college basketball community after freshman center Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered cardiac arrest and was hospitalized during an offseason USC basketball practice. 

Upon seeing the news, thousands of​​ college basketball fans collectively uttered the same sentiment as Iwuchukwu. 

What the hell are you talking about?

The freshman center seemed destined for stardom at USC the moment he signed with the Trojans. 

The No. 25 ranked player in his class according to 247 Sports, Iwuchukwu became the fourth five-star big man in the Trojans’ past four recruiting classes, joining Onyeka Okongwu, Isaiah Mobley and Evan Mobley. Standing at 7 feet tall, Iwuchukwu seemed primed to follow in their footsteps, with the potential to become a Trojan legend and an NBA star. 

That was, until the summer before his freshman year, when Iwuchukwu unexpectedly collapsed and everything — including his life — was suddenly put in jeopardy. 

Fortunately, in a moment of triumph, Vince the Prince rose again. 

“By the grace of God, I came back,” Iwuchukwu said. “I [owe] my life to those coaches and the training staff that were there to help me.” 

The fact that Iwuchukwu was able to regain consciousness in Galen Center and survive cardiac arrest is a testament to the speed and expertise displayed by the training staff that July day. Iwuchukwu’s heart was physically tested to the limit, and it passed. Unfortunately, it would be emotionally challenged plenty more in the coming months. 

“At the time, I was told I wouldn’t be able to play [basketball] again,” Iwuchukwu said. “For about two, three months, [I was] just aimlessly wondering like, what am I going to do?”

After being so close to reaching the next step in his path to the NBA, the possibility of losing the game he loved was devastating for Iwuchukwu. 

“I told my parents … ‘It’s fine … I don’t really need it that much,’” Iwuchukwu said. “After I said that, I just broke into tears. It’s so crazy to think that, [after] four years, I could be attached to something so much. But yeah, a lot of my time has been put into basketball … I hadn’t cried until that point.” 

Fortunately, Iwuchukwu’s prognosis changed: A second doctor said that the first had misspoken, and there was a possibility that he could play again. 

“When I heard that, I just told myself the battle starts now,” Iwuchukwu said. 

And battle he did. For 195 days, Iwuchukwu fought everything that threatened to stall his return to the court. He fought through the uncertainty not knowing of if he could ever return to his former self, the fear that something disastrous could happen again, the tediousness of having to take his recovery inch by inch, the physical exhaustion of ramping up to playing shape after months without physical activity. Yet, he took on that steep road to recovery with a smile on his face. 

“[Iwuchukwu] has had such a positive attitude, so he is very inspiring to all of us,” said Head Coach Andy Enfield. 

That positive attitude is something that Iwuchukwu’s  teammates have taken to heart. 

“His progression has just inspired everybody to overcome,” said fifth-year guard Drew Peterson. “It’s just great to see, and I’m so happy for him and his family.”

For Iwuchukwu, staying upbeat was necessary to keep the faith that he would one day play basketball again. 

“Getting back into [basketball] felt harder to me than the actual event happening,” Iwuchukwu said. “I’ve got to stay positive … My purpose on the team is to help the team win. And whether I’m playing or whether I’m not playing, being positive contributes to winning.”

Just as Iwuchukwu continued to support his new team as much as he could, he had a far older team surrounding him that was critical in maintaining his positivity. 

“[My family], they are my rock,” Iwuchukwu said. “They keep me solid. Every time I feel down, I call my mom and my dad and my sisters and they’re there cheering me up.” 

Iwuchukwu’s teammates’ support has also been huge in his battle back to the court. 

“They were all his biggest cheerleaders when he was trying to go through this to come back,” Enfield said. “They were all there for him when he went through this ordeal.” 

Vince continued to fight with all of his heart. Physically, he fought to be cleared to play. Emotionally, he leaned on the people near to his heart and his own positive personality to stay motivated to return. 

It wasn’t until after Thanksgiving that Iwuchukwu was able to start dribbling a basketball and not until late into winter break before he could fully participate in practice.

“That part was something else, because my body was so out of it for 6 or 7 months,” Iwuchukwu said. “I felt like an old man. I couldn’t move.”

And then, on Jan. 12 in a home game against Colorado, Iwuchukwu was told to go to the scorers’ table to check in for the first time. Thousands of Trojan fans rose to their feet, giving him a hero’s welcome as he stepped onto the court. Finally, triumphantly, he was a Trojan basketball player. 

“I felt like Kobe when he played the Jazz in his last game, that standing ovation was crazy,” Iwuchukwu said. “To get that, it was exhilarating, it was super surreal.”

While everyone seemed to celebrate what was an objectively tremendous accomplishment, Iwuchukwu’s coach made sure his head was in the game.

“[Enfield] told me, ‘Don’t forget your assignments,’” Iwuchukwu laughed.

Following the game, he gave his family a big hug, soaking in what he had accomplished for a brief moment. Then, almost immediately, he got back to work on helping the Trojans compete for a spot in the NCAA tournament. He has become a huge piece of the team since returning, averaging 5.8 points in 13.9 minutes per game and shooting 80% from the free throw line. He scored a career-high 19 points in the Trojans’ loss against Oregon State Feb. 11, his ninth career game.

But no matter what Iwuchukwu and the Trojans accomplish this March, their most meaningful victory has already been achieved. 

Vincent Iwuchukwu’s heart won, in every way.