Former Miami power forward Dwayne Collins dies at 37, cause of death suspected to be heart attack

The college basketball world received some tragic news on Thursday as former Miami basketball star Dwayne Collins passed away at the age of 37. Only three days after the former Miami star turned 37, he was reportedly found dead on Wednesday.

The cause of death has not been announced, but according to Yahoo and other sources, a heart attack is suspected to be the reason.

Collins played for the Miami Hurricanes from 2006 to 2010. He showed steady progression throughout his career, starting as a freshman who averaged 8.6 points per game. By the time he was a senior, he was a full-time starter and averaging 12.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.

Collins' impressive trajectory in college made him a draft pick in the 2010 NBA draft. He was selected with the last pick in the draft by the Phoenix Suns. However, he was never able to make it work as an NBA player.

He signed with the Italian team Cimberio Varese for the 2011 season but sustained a knee injury soon after.

Collins did not make another professional appearance until he joined the Suns in the Summer League in 2013, where he played five games. His career concluded after that brief stint, and he was not in the public eye after that.

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Dwayne Collins' former high school coach reacts to the news of his death

There is no doubt that Dwayne Collins' death was an untimely tragedy. At just 37 years of age, the former Miami forward was quite far from old age. After his death, Collins's former high school coach with the Miami Tropics AAU team, Art 'Pilin' Alvarez, spoke out.

Alvarez spoke about how he shared a birthday with Collins and had texted him only a few days earlier.

"I had just texted with Dwayne on April 13, because we share that birthday, so this was a complete shock and the Miami basketball community is in pain," Alvarez said. "He was one of the most loved student-athletes in the Miami ranks, so nice and humble. He was a great basketball player and an even better human being."

After concluding his professional basketball career, Collins did not seek a career in basketball. Rather than trying to become a coach or a scout, he turned to a career in real estate. According to his LinkedIn account, Collins had been working as a superintendent at AvalonBay Communities in New Jersey.