Emmanuel Negedu's career isn't over; he's headed to New Mexico

Emmanuel Negedu, a former forward for Tennessee who sat out last season, has decided to transfer to New Mexico.

On paper, this looks like nothing more than a player transferring to a school where he is more comfortable and can get more playing time. But there is so much more to this story.

Negedu's name is well-known in college basketball circles, but to the common fan he may be a new name. The reason Negedu didn't play last season is because he very nearly died on September 28th, 2009. He was working out with teammates at the UT football facility when he collapsed and his heart stopped for as much as two minutes. Luckily, the UT training staff was nearby and was able to revive Negedu using a defibrillator. A week later, he had a pacemaker implanted.

It doesn't get any scarier than that.

Negedu was forced to sit out the 2009-2010 season, and last month Tennessee announced that they would not be clearing Negedu to play at Tennessee. So Negedu decided to transfer. It seemed like he was destined for Indiana, but after he was cleared medically to play for the Hoosiers, the administration refused to allow him to play.

I think its safe to assume they didn't want an athlete dying on their watch.

Anyway, over the weekend Negedu visited New Mexico. Head coach Steve Alford had already gotten Negedu cleared by the legal department, he just needed to 21 year old to pay a visit to a cardiologist. Negedu did, it went well, so Negedu committed to play for the Lobos, and will be signing papers today.

But is that really a good decision for New Mexico?

Not even a year ago, Negedu collapsed while working out and his heart stopped for two minutes. If it wasn't for the heroics of the UT training staff, we wouldn't be having this conversation. He may have received the best medical treatment that money can buy and he may have the most technologically advanced pacemaker on the market, but there was still enough risk for two schools to pass on a kid that was a pretty highly recruited player?

I don't blame Negedu here. Not one bit. The kid clearly loves basketball, to the point that he is willing to risk his own life to play. As a 21 year old adult, it is his right to make that decision. If I was put in his shoes, I don't know that I would do anything differently.

Does that mean that New Mexico has to allow him to play?

With how far medicine and technology has come, odds are good that Negedu will be perfectly fine. Remember, he did get cleared by the doctors at Indiana.

But there is still that .0001% (Yea, I made up that number, but you get my point) that the pacemaker doesn't save Negedu, and he once again collapses and has his heart stop.

Its happened far too much recently. Henry White at Grambling. Jeron Lewis at Southern Indiana. Herb Pope from Seton Hall nearly joined that list.

As much as I wish the best for Negedu, the honest truth is that I hope we simply avoid the worst.