A former college basketball standout who survived a terrifying heart attack as a USC freshman has scored another major victory — this time in court — after fighting to keep his NBA dreams alive.

Vincent Iwuchukwu, a 22-year-old, 7-foot-1 German-born center, successfully challenged an NCAA eligibility rule that threatened to derail his path to the NBA.

A judge ruled in his favor just days after he filed suit against the NCAA, giving the determined big man another shot at proving he belongs at the professional level.

Iwuchukwu’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary.

On July 1, 2022, during his very first practice as an incoming USC freshman, Iwuchukwu suddenly suffered a coronary heart attack.

“It really happened instantaneously,” he recalled. “I wasn’t really feeling a particular way before going into that practice. Then I was gone, so I couldn’t really tell what was happening.”

Doctors were unable to determine what caused the frightening medical emergency.

But as Iwuchukwu recovered, one thought remained at the front of his mind: getting back on the basketball court.

And remarkably, he did.

He returned to competition in January 2023 at St. John’s, although another setback soon followed. Iwuchukwu developed back herniations and painful spasms that ultimately required surgery that March.

He nevertheless continued his basketball comeback, spending two seasons at St. John’s before transferring to Georgetown in 2025.

Last season, he averaged 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

For Iwuchukwu, however, the biggest battle wasn’t necessarily physical.

“I think the biggest battle was probably mentally, telling yourself that, ‘You’re okay, I can play,’” he told The Post.

Then came another obstacle — one that had nothing to do with his health.

After completing his fourth college season, Iwuchukwu’s doctor, who had implanted his defibrillator and also serves on the NBA’s professional fitness-to-play panel, recommended that he spend another season playing college basketball.

The additional season could help him obtain the medical clearance needed to pursue an NBA career in 2027.

But an NCAA eligibility rule threatened to take that opportunity away.

The NCAA had recently scrapped its longtime “four seasons in five years” eligibility rule and moved toward an age-based system allowing athletes to compete for an unlimited number of seasons within five years.

The change, however, did not apply to Iwuchukwu’s 2022 high school class.

Suddenly, the player who had fought his way back from a life-threatening medical emergency was facing another potential roadblock.

This time, he took the fight to court.

Iwuchukwu sued the NCAA in Queens Supreme Court on Aug. 14, arguing that being denied another season could cause irreparable harm to his NBA aspirations.

“If he does not play this season, that evaluation will not occur on schedule and cannot be recreated,” his attorneys argued in the lawsuit.

His lawyer Brandon Leopoldus blasted the NCAA’s treatment of the 2022 class as unfair.

“To take that opportunity away from [the class of 2022] is frankly just cavalierly and without much thought,” Leopoldus told The Post.

And just days after filing the lawsuit, Iwuchukwu got the breakthrough he was fighting for.

The court ruled in his favor, clearing the way for him to continue his college career.

Now, the 7-foot-1 big man is considering offers from his former schools, St. John’s and Georgetown, along with opportunities from other universities.

He plans to make his decision this week.

After everything he has endured, Iwuchukwu says the experience has taught him one thing above all: keep moving forward.

“The NCAA told me no, but the ball kept rolling on colleges and the pros,” he said.

“So nothing stops. Be patient, keep working, and things will wind up working out in your favor.”

For a player who once collapsed during his very first college practice and had to fight his way back onto the court, there is now another chance to chase the NBA dream.

And this time, nothing — not even the NCAA — is standing in his way.