Teammates, friends speak out after Vilonia native, college basketball player’s death

VILONIA, Ark. – For the Mannion family, losing Ethan Dietz felt like losing one of their own.

Dietz, a basketball player at Connors State College, died on Nov. 25 after sustaining a head injury during the second half of a game against Grayson College.

Through their grief, the Mannions want to keep his memory alive. To them, he was not just a teammate, he was a best friend and a second son.

College basketball player from Vilonia dies after injury in weekend game

Dietz first met the Mannion family when he moved to Violonia Middle School. From the moment he and Landon Mannion connected, the family knew he was going to be one of the brightest lights in his life.

“We immediately connected and just from there were tight,” Landon Mannion said. “He came to the house every day for a year straight.”

Basketball was one of the biggest ways Dietz influenced the Mannion kids.

Whether it was calling Maddie Mannion before every game or playing pick-up games in their driveway until 2 a.m., Dietz made the relationship a priority even as his talent grew.

“He always was just like to play with heart and he is the one who did it best is play with heart,” Maddie Mannion said.

At Connors State, the 6-foot-8 forward was a starter who averaged 11 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on the season. He also started 29 of 36 games last year as a freshman.

But, everything changed for the Mannions on Tuesday when the family received a call that an accident had happened during the basketball game.

Within minutes, they were on the road to Tulsa, Oklahoma, praying for a miracle.

“I was in shock when she told me I couldn’t accept it either. She told me he was gone, and I was just stale,” Mack Mannion said.

“She said Dietz is in the hospital and it’s not looking too good, and I didn’t want to believe it at all,” Maddie Mannion said. “I was like, there’s a way God, there’s a way just bring him peace and heal him.”

Through all this grief, Amber Mannion says one of the greatest gifts Ethan gave her was her nickname “Mamma Mannion.”

“It was always like ‘Where’s Mamma Mannion?’ and when he would come into our home, and he would give the best hugs, and I’m going to miss that,” Amber Mannion said.

Central Arkansas native, Oklahoma college basketball player dies days after injury during game

The family said they want Ethan to be remembered for his heart and the person they all looked up to.

“He was the most humble kid, the most selfless person; he always put others before himself,” Maddie said. “He was always there for you in a heartbeat, no matter where it was.”

Connors State College will host a vigil on Dec. 1st at 7 p.m. in his memory.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com.