A junior college basketball player in Oklahoma died three days after suffering a head injury during a game. Kate Frese / Getty Images
A junior college basketball player in Oklahoma died Tuesday morning after sustaining a head injury in a game on Saturday, the school announced.
Ethan Dietz, a 6-foot-8 forward for Connors State College in eastern Oklahoma, was injured during the Cowboys’ game against Grayson College in Texas on Saturday, according to the school. Initial reports indicate he suffered a head injury, school spokesperson Shannon Rigsby told The Athletic.
“The Cowboy family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” the school said in its statement on Facebook. “Ethan exemplified what it means to be a Cowboy, to value hard work and being part of a team. While the team and the Cowboy community are processing our own grief, our hearts go out to his family and friends.”
Dietz, a sophomore from Conway, Ark., had started all eight games for the Cowboys this season and was averaging 11 points per game on 66.7 percent field goal shooting.
Connors State canceled its next two men’s and women’s basketball games. The school will host a vigil in Dietz’s honor on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the school’s Warner campus.
“Ethan’s loss reminds us all how precious life is and how much those around us impact our lives. As we move through this loss together as a community, let’s be inspired by Ethan’s spirit, friendship and love,” the school’s statement said.
Nov 26, 2025
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