Dayton Flyers center Steve McElvene dies of apparent heart condition

Dayton center Steve McElvene has died. He was 20 years old.

According to reports, McElvene collapsed early Thursday morning at this home in Indiana, and could not be revived. It is believed that his death may have been caused by an enlarged heart.

As a red-shirt freshman for the Flyers, he averaged 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds, while blocking 55 shots in 32 games. He was instrumental in this season's Dayton lineup, averaging 18.3 minutes this season, and making an impact inside as a big man for a team that didn't have one player over 6-6 the season before.

He had sat out that season as a partial qualifier and dropped 50 pounds in the process of becoming the player that ignited fans with his performance and potential this season.

Head coach Archie Miller released the following statement following news of McElvene's death:

"We are devastated at this news. Any death is a tragedy, but for someone so young who worked so hard to have his dreams within reach, it's hard to put into words how painful this is. Our hearts and prayers go out to Steve's family. My family, our team and our staff will have to pull together, not only in support of Steve's family, but in support of each other at this terrible time."

An official cause of death will be determined over the course of the next few days.

As a staff, our thoughts go out to Steve McElvene's family and friends, and the Dayton Flyers community.