The basketball world is mourning the loss of Mayar Deng, a talented young athlete whose life was taken too soon, who died in a tragic drowning accident. Deng Mayar, a 22-year-old forward for the University of Nebraska-Omaha, was pronounced dead Saturday evening while swimming at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, Utah, about 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
On Saturday at 6 p.m., Mayar, swimming with a friend, Sa Mafutaga, 21, began having problems while swimming at Blackridge Reservoir. Mufutaga was able to swim to shore, but quickly realized that Mayar was still having difficulties in the reservoir.
Mafutaga then attempted to go back to the water and make a rescue attempt, but he was unable to reach his friend in time. The Unified Fire Authority even had to make a water rescue to pull Mafutaga to safety after making an unsuccessful rescue attempt.
The fact that it was Salt Lake City made the loss that much harder. Mayar grew up in the same city where he lost his life, so this tragedy is even deeper for the local community.
Omaha Basketball Mourns the Loss of a Promising Talent
The heartbreak of this already tragic story is made worse by the fact that the Omaha basketball program lost a young and promising talent. Mayar had recently transferred from the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks just this past summer.
Omaha men’s basketball coach Chris Crutchfield expressed the program’s devastation in an emotional statement. He revealed that the coaching staff had competed against Mayar for two years before successfully recruiting him. The coach emphasized how thrilled they were to add him to their roster and praised the tremendous progress Mayar had made during summer preparations.
Playing for North Dakota in 2024-25, the 6’8″ senior forward averaged an impressive 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game in 48 per cent shooting from the field, also playing a total of 29 games with 10 starts.
In a high point, he also scored 14 points, whilst the other positive was that he was getting acknowledged for his defensive presence with 20 steals, with 0.7 steals per game. He also showed he could stretch the floor with 14 three-pointers made.
In what would turn out to be his final time playing on a basketball court, he had 12 points and 7 rebounds in a convincing 92-79 win against South Dakota.
Also Read:
- Omaha’s Chris Crutchfield Finalizing High-Value Contract Extension Through 2029-2030 Season
- Hubert Davis’ Squad Commands $7,000,000 In Rev Share As Tar Heels Look To End Natty Drought
- 2026 Top Prospect Draws Scottie Barnes Comparisons From ESPN Analyst
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
