Former Vanderbilt standout Dai-Jon Parker died Thursday, sources told CBSSports.com. He was 22 years old. Vandy coach Kevin Stallings confirmed the news Friday morning. “We are extremely saddened with the news of Dai-Jon’s death,” Stallings said. “Everyone who watched him play basketball knew what kind of athlete he was. But, to those of us who knew him and loved him, he was as good and happy of a person as you would ever meet. He always had a smile on his face, and I will always remember him for that smile and the positive spirit he had. We send our deepest condolences and prayers to his family, friends, and others who were lucky enough to have met him.”
Parker played last season at the University of Indianapolis, where he averaged 9.4 points per game. Sources told CBSSports.com that he drowned Thursday in Indiana. The Indianapolis Star reported that a body was found at the bottom of the Morse Reservoir on Thursday night after witnesses saw a man thrown from an inter-tube after he hit a wave while being pulled behind a boat. The man was not wearing a life jacket, according to the report.
Authorities identified the victim as a “22-year-old African-American male from Louisiana.” Parker is a 22-year-old African-American male from Louisiana.
