Utah Native, College Basketball Player Deng Mayar Passes Away

Omaha Mavericks forward and Utah native Deng Mayar passed away on Sunday. He was 22 years old.

According to Herriman police, he drowned about 35 yards from the shore at Blackridge Reservoir.

Omaha and his former school, the University of North Dakota, both posted memorial tributes.

We are heartbroken by the loss of former student-athlete Deng Mayar, who passed away on Saturday. He was 22.

We extend are deepest condolences to Deng’s family, teammates, friends and classmates. They are all in our thoughts and prayers

RELEASE: https://t.co/BnFMzE2Zlc pic.twitter.com/pacKK6ThRH

— North Dakota Men’s Basketball (@UNDmbasketball) August 17, 2025

According to his profile on Omaha Athletics, Mayar was born in Magna, Utah. He was one of seven children born to Abele Daw and Alei Ador.

Mayar went on to attend Judge Memorial High School, where he played four seasons of basketball with the Bulldogs.

After high school, he attended Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas. Mayar played in 30 games for the Hawks and garnered enough attention to transfer to North Dakota.

Mayar played in 42 games over two seasons with the Fighting Hawks. After the 2024-25 season, he chose to move one more time for his final year of eligibility, joining the Omaha Mavericks this summer.

Omaha men’s basketball head coach Chris Crutchfield gave a statement on Mayar’s passing.

“Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing. 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.”

After getting his Bachelor’s in Communications at UND, Mayar was set to be a business administration graduate student in Nebraska.

According to his Mavericks biography page, Mayar enjoyed listening to music, collecting sneakers, and playing video games.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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