Heart of the Hoyas: Tyler Adams dunks one last time after career cut short

The final Saturday of the regular season in college basketball started with a heartwarming moment of sportsmanship between Big East Conference rivals Georgetown and Seton Hall.

[DraftKings: Play March Madness Fantasy College Hoops. $20 Entry. $20,000 Guaranteed Cash Prizes.]

Georgetown senior Tyler Adams' career was cut short four years ago when a heart condition was discovered. Adams was born with an irregular heartbeat and underwent an operation at age 6. He never had issues with his heart until his freshman year at Georgetown. Saturday was his first game since Dec. 3, 2011.

He suffered chest pains during a practice Dec. 14, 2011 and after doctors diagnosed an arrhythmia he chose not to continue his career.

So there was Adams on the court Saturday against Seton Hall when the official tossed the ball in the air. On the Hoyas' first possession, Adams posted up on the low block and the ball found him. Seton Hall backed off and allowed the product of Brandon, Miss., to experience the thrill of dunking in a game one final time.

He has remained a part of the team in the years since his condition was discovered, serving as a student assistant coach and mentor to his teammates.

The Washington Post reported Thompson began the process 16 months ago of obtaining a waiver from the NCAA for Adams to play on senior day Saturday. He shared the good news with Adams and his teammates after Thursday's practice.

“Coming in, he was going to be the next Georgetown center,” Thompson told the Post. “It hurt him. It hurt us. But he’s someone that has not pouted. He’s someone that has found a way to help this team, to make his teammates better in a totally different way than what any of us envisioned. We just wanted to give him a chance to get back out there.”

- - - - - - -

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo