Talk to Vince Iwuchukwu, and you’ll soon find out he is planted firmly in the here and now.

The senior center from Nigeria firmly believes that a buildup of small, granular successes, rather than lofty goals, are the recipe for winning.

“Game by game, day by day. I live by that motto,” Iwuchukwu told The Hoya. “I try to live in the now.”

That’s a mindset that has fueled Iwuchukwu through injuries, health scares and three different teams in a college basketball career that has forced him to be more resilient than most.

Iwuchukwu’s collegiate career almost ended before it began. In a 2022 practice before his first year of NCAA basketball, Iwuchukwu suffered a cardiac arrest on court. After initial doubts over whether he’d be able to play basketball again and a lengthy recovery and clearance process, Iwuchukwu returned six months later, going on to play 14 games in his first season.

Iwuchukwu said the rehab process was both physically and mentally tough but forced him to be patient and take things one day at a time.

“As much as it is physical, it is very much mental,” Iwuchukwu said. “You have to wake up every single day and be like, ‘Damn, I’m not where I was before.’ I have to work every single day to get back to this point.”

This season, Iwuchukwu underwent a “scheduled medical procedure” after the Nov. 15 game against Clemson and was out until early January. The Hoyas’ strong early start dissipated in that period, going 5-5 in the 10 games he missed.

Iwuchukwu said he maintained a positive mindset during those rehab periods.

“I understand what I’m going through is difficult in the moment, but the next day will be better,” Iwuchukwu said. “The next day will be better. And then when all those days accumulate, they become something that’s — you have a finished product.”

Four years later, Iwuchukwu looks back on the twists of his collegiate career, grateful that the adversity he’s faced provided him with a new perspective.

“I think young Vince was always thinking so far ahead about things. I wasn’t where my feet were,” he added. “I definitely appreciate the moment, appreciate life, in its rarity.”

“You just never know what’s going to happen or when things are gonna change. Really appreciate the moment, being in the moment, not thinking too far ahead.”

Iwuchukwu’s relentless focus on the present moment has proven key for the Hoyas this season as the senior center shouldered an impact role, sharing minutes with sophomore center Julius Halaifonua. Iwuchukwu proved himself to be a key difference maker in late-game situations, making an immediate impact coming off the bench.

Iwuchukwu, who says he takes inspiration for his game from the offensive prowess and defensive versatility of Giannis Antetokounmpo, looks for ways to support his teammates and raise the Hoyas’ level of play when entering the game.

“I expect to just raise the level that we’re already playing at,” Iwuchukwu said. “What do we need in this moment, this possession?”

Coming in as a transfer from reigning Big East champion St. John’s University, Iwuchukwu has continued to establish himself as a formidable anchor in Georgetown’s defense and a productive player offensively in the paint. Iwuchukwu averaged 11.4 points and 6 rebounds per game as well as 15 blocks over the course of the season.

Georgetown Head Coach Ed Cooley outlined some of Iwuchukwu’s unique assets on the court when speaking to reporters Thursday, saying he brought key low-block production to the squad.

“Length, athleticism, physicality, scoring punch,” Cooley told The Hoya.

“When you’re playing against somebody who has an interior offensive package like Tarris, you’ve got to use everything in your arsenal,” he added, referring to University of Connecticut center Tarris Reed Jr.

It’s a style of play that has made him a feared defensive obstacle for opponents and put the rest of the conference on notice.

After Hoyas fought UConn to the wire in a 64-62 January loss, UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley effusively praised the center, who played 30 minutes and recorded a double-double. Hurley said the Hoyas were a more challenging opponent to face when Iwuchukwu was on the court.

“Just how different of a team they are with Big Vince in there,” Hurley said in the post-game press conference. “Teams were very fortunate to play them without Big Vince in. He gives them, obviously, a starting caliber, high-major center. It allows Julius to play backup minutes as a talented young big, and I think they’re a much different team with Vince in there.”

Creighton University Head Coach Greg McDermott was another voice in the choir singing Iwuchukwu’s praises. Iwuchukwu recorded another double-double in 30 minutes as the Hoyas took down the Bluejays on Feb. 4. McDermott said Iwuchukwu’s presence made Georgetown a far more competitive team.

“As I told Coach Cooley, you look at how Georgetown played before Vince went out and how they played since he’s been back,” McDermott said in the postgame press conference. “He impacts the game so much on both ends of the court.”

But for Iwuchukwu, the most crucial ingredient for success — on and off the court — comes not from tangible skills or tough defense, but from the intangibles.

“Vince the player wants to be a winner,” Iwuchukwu said. “A lot of times, people base their performances off stats. I feel like I base my performances off of wins and the success of the team. If we don’t have team success, that means I’m not doing my job to the best of my ability.”

Iwuchukwu says he takes inspiration from LeBron James’ communication on the court and Kobe Bryant’s “mamba mentality” off the court. He said the importance of communication especially shines when playing in raucous environments on the road, like the Hoyas’ upcoming matchup against No. 6 UConn in Storrs, Conn., on Saturday, Feb. 14.

“We’re always having constant communication about how to get better,” Iwuchukwu said. “Everything’s all about connectivity, going to environments like that.”

“You can’t create a winning culture if you’re not aligned,” he added.

It was Cooley’s reputation for building a winning culture that influenced Iwuchukwu’s decision to transfer to the Hilltop. Iwuchukwu had observed the way Cooley turned around his former program at Providence College and transformed former Georgetown standout Micah Peavy from an under-the-radar prospect to a defensive stalwart and NBA player. Iwuchukwu said he wanted to play a leading role in bringing a former powerhouse back to glory.

“For me, it was a choice of ‘where can I go to make an impact?’” Iwuchukwu said. “I’ve always preached to myself that I want to be the best defensive player in the country. Not just in the Big East, not just on the team, in the country. So I felt like coming here was the best ability I had, my best chance to do that.”

“Coming here for me, it’s just, I want to build a winning culture. Every single day, going hard, every single day, making sure guys are held accountable every single day on the court,” he continued. “Habits are what create DNA, so that’s all I’m trying to bring here.”

And although he’s focused on building a winning program that outlasts his time at Georgetown, Iwuchukwu’s focus remains on the next game and the game after that. While speculation builds over his next move after the Hoyas’ season, Iwuchukwu blocks out the noise, setting the Feb. 14 game against UConn as his next target.

If the lessons he’s learned from each successive comeback are any indication, it’s that Iwuchukwu views success as earned — with a “here and now” mentality — rather than a given. He said he aims to foster this mentality in rebuilding the Hoyas’ culture for the next generation.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned throughout my years of playing basketball is you have to do your best every single day — just have the opportunity to win,” Iwuchukwu said. “You’re not guaranteed to win.”