Allan Chaney's career in doubt

Allan Chaney's college career may be over.

Virginia Tech announced earlier today that the former four-star recruit was not medically cleared to play due to "continued complications from a cardiac condition", diagnosed as myocarditis. According to Wikipedia, myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle stemming from an infection that can lead to passing out -- as happened to Chaney back in April of 2010 -- or a fatal arrhythmia.

"Allan Chaney has been through a great deal in the last year and a half," head coach Seth Greenberg said in a statement. "Everyone involved in our basketball program feels for him. Unfortunately, this rare condition will prevent him from continuing his career here at Virginia Tech. We will do everything in our power to assist Allan as he goes through his next procedure and support him in every way possible."

There is no doubt that this is a sad day for Chaney, who averaged 3.0 ppg and 2.1 rpg as a freshman at Florida in 2008-2009 before transferring to Tech. And it should be. Unless he makes the decision to transfer and try and convince a different school to clear him medically -- as Emmanuel Negedu did before eventually having his career end at New Mexico -- Chaney's basketball career is over.

And while I know he doesn't see it now, this is actually a good thing.

Just ask the friends and family of Hank Gathers. Or Reggie Lewis. Or Jeron Lewis. This hits close to home for me; a high school friend of mine died as the result of sudden cardiac arrest.

Playing with this heart problem is extremely dangerous. There is so much more to life than just hoops. Basketball isn't worth dying over.