Grayson Dease shines at Run N Slam, raises Indiana buzz

Grayson Dease turned a strong grassroots weekend into something bigger: a real reason for Indiana coaches to start recalibrating how they view a 2029 wing with size, production and early two-way impact.

At the 2026 Bill Hensley Memorial Run N Slam in Fort Wayne, Dease stood out for the exact traits that travel. The 6-foot-6 small forward from Evansville Reitz, who plays for Indiana Elite Team Indiana, put together two big games in a setting built to expose empty stats and reward repeatable production. That matters at an event presented by Gym Rats Basketball and billed as one of the biggest annual Midwest tournaments, because a player does not get much room to hide when scouts and college evaluators are watching every possession.

Dease’s profile already hinted at upside. Prep Hoops lists him as a 2029 prospect and says his player profile was created on December 21, 2025, which tells you he had been on the radar before this weekend. MaxPreps gives the louder argument for why the buzz is growing: in 19 games for Evansville Reitz’s varsity team, the freshman averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks. That is not just a tall perimeter kid getting by on tools. That is a freshman affecting the game in every column.

The numbers also suggest this was not a one-night jump. MaxPreps lists a March 6 game against Evansville Harrison in which Dease scored 10 points, another sign that his production has carried from the winter season into spring. The Saturday showing at Run N Slam only sharpened the picture. Prep Hoops’ stock-risers coverage described him as an absolute stud who had two big games and made it look easy, and that kind of language usually follows a player who is starting to separate from the pack.

Bleacher Prospect added another useful detail to the evaluation: Dease was dunking in pregame warmups and impressed in 15U play against Team Flyght. That lines up with the frame already listed at 6-foot-6 and reinforces the same point from a different angle. His weekend buzz was not built on one hot shooting stretch. It was built on size, athletic pop and enough skill to look comfortable against live competition.

For Indiana watchers, the bigger takeaway is simple. Dease is no longer just a promising freshman from Evansville Reitz. After Run N Slam, he looks like one of the 2029 names most capable of moving from regional curiosity to statewide talking point.