Louisville’s Onuaku faces ‘minor procedure’ on heart, likely to stay in NBA Draft

University of Louisville center Chinanu Onuaku was to undergo a medical procedure in Chicago on Tuesday to correct a problem with his heart’s rhythm.

The Cardinals sophomore was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome after going through a physical at last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Doctors detected an extra electrical pathway between the upper and lower chambers of Onuaku’s heart causing a rapid heartbeat. WPW is detected in about four out of every 100,000 people.

In a statement released by U of L Athletics, Onuaku said the “minor procedure” will keep him off the court for approximately seven to 10 days.

“After the seven to 10 day window, I will be ready to start my workouts again in pursuit of my NBA dreams,” Onuaku said.

That statement suggests Onuaku plans to keep his name in this summer’s NBA Draft. May 25 is the deadline for him to pull out of the draft and retain his collegiate eligibility.

The 6-foot-10 Onuaku played in all 31 of Louisville’s games last season and started 29. He averaged 9.9 points (third-most on the team) and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds per game. He also led the Cardinals in blocked shots with 62.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Louisville’s Onuaku faces ‘minor procedure’ on heart, likely to stay in NBA Draft."