Heart condition ends career of Pepperdine's Will Kimble

Saturday November 30, 2002

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) A heart condition that was diagnosed after he collapsed during practice has ended the career of Pepperdine junior center Will Kimble, school officials said Friday.

Kimble fainted during practice Tuesday and underwent numerous tests at the UCLA Medical Center. An ultrasound of his heart detected excessive thickness of the heart muscle, a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the school said in a statement.

Because the condition can be life-threatening, Kimble told coaches and teammates that he can no longer play basketball.

Kimble had earned a starting role this season after averaging 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds a game on last season's squad that finished 22-9 and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)