University of Nebraska at Omaha forward Deng Mayar died Saturday after drowning at Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman, a suburb of Salt Lake City, the school confirmed on Sunday. He was 22. Herriman Police said Mayar and a friend began struggling in the water late Saturday afternoon. The friend reached shore but re-entered the reservoir to help and was later treated in hospital. Emergency crews located Mayar roughly five hours after the initial call, recovering his body around 11 p.m. The 6-foot-7 Mayar had transferred to Omaha for the coming season after two years at the University of North Dakota, where he averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last year. "Our entire program is devastated to learn of Deng’s passing," Omaha coach Chris Crutchfield said. Former North Dakota coach Paul Sather remembered him as "a wonderful person with a heart the size of a gym." A Salt Lake City native who began his collegiate career in junior college, Mayar had been expected to bolster the Mavericks’ front court. The university is offering counseling services to teammates and staff, while local authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the drowning.