Omaha MCBB Player Deng Mayar Dies at Age 22 in Drowning

The University of Nebraska Omaha announced Sunday the death of men's basketball forward Deng Mayar.

Ryan Bittan of ABC4 Utah reported Mayar, 22, drowned at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah, on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses called 911 to report he and a friend "were struggling in the water." His friend made it back to shore and was hospitalized. Mayar eventually went under and didn't resurface. Divers from the local water rescue team recovered his body at 11 p.m. MT.

Mayar, a graduate student, transferred to Omaha ahead of the 2025-26 season. He spent the last two years at North Dakota, where he averaged 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 42 appearances.

"Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng's passing," Omaha head coach Chris Crutchfield said. "After competing against him for two years, we were elated to add him to our team and he made tremendous progress this summer. Deng was a joy to be around and made our culture better. We will miss him greatly. Jodi and I, along with our entire program, send our hearts and prayers to Deng's family, friends and teammates."

North Dakota head coach Paul Sather said "our hearts are broken to hear the tragic news of Deng's passing."

"He was a wonderful person with a heart the size of a gym," he said. "Our thoughts are with his parents and family, along with all his teammates from UND and UNO. As competitive as he was on the court, he had a gentle nature and kind soul off the court. Deng will be greatly missed by all of those that knew and loved him."