“He was talented athletically and academically and he understood the importance of hard work. If you ever saw him smile, you knew he was all heart. He was a person of character as well as a great team-mate.”

Dietz was from Conway, Arkansas, and was in his second year at Connors State. He started the first eight games of the season for the Cowboys, averaging 11 points and 9.4 rebounds.

The school cancelled several men’s and women’s basketball games and scheduled a campus vigil to honour Dietz’s life on Monday.

“It is devastating when such a bright light is taken from us,” added CSC president Dr Ron Ramming. “Ethan exemplified what it means to be a Cowboy, to value hard work and being part of a team.”