Owen Dease Set to Join Valpo Basketball Program
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program and head coach Roger Powell Jr. have announced the signing of Owen Dease (Evansville, Ind. / Evansville Reitz [Texas A&M Corpus Christi]), who will join the team as a redshirt senior for the 2025-26 season.
“I’m super close with [assistant coach] Jesse McClung, I’ve known him since middle school,” Dease said. “Because of my relationship with him, I knew I would be taken care of at Valpo. I can tell from the vibe of the coaching staff in general that it’s a family-based environment. Coach Powell seems to be a great coach with a system where there is freedom to play. He has produced many pro and NBA players, so his connections are extremely important. You don’t have to play in a power conference to be able to play at the next level as long as you have the connections and produce. The Missouri Valley Conference is very respected.”
Dease spent the last four years at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, redshirting his freshman year in 2021-22 before playing in 85 games and making 50 starts over the last three seasons. He holds a career scoring average of 7.6 points per game and was a touch shy of averaging double figures this past season, pouring in 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 91.7 percent at the free-throw line and 37.8 percent from 3.
“I plan to bring a winning culture to Valpo,” Dease said. “I can do everything on the court. I like hitting ‘home runs,’ so look out for some highlights. I’m excited to show people how to win as a leader on and off the court while developing my game so I can be a prospect and try to go to the league.”
After being part of the program when Texas A&M Corpus Christi reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022 as a redshirt, Dease played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament on a team that beat SEMO in the First Four before playing top-seeded Alabama in the Round of 64. He scored 14 points off the bench against the Crimson Tide.
“Owen is a proven winner at the collegiate level,” Powell said. “He has produced on teams that went to the NCAA Tournament. He has great length and shooting ability, which are two areas that we needed to improve. We are excited to bring him back to his home state of Indiana.”
Dease scored in double figures 31 times over the last three seasons including 15 times this past season. He tallied a season-high 20 points twice including an 8-of-11 shooting showing in the Nov. 4 season opener at Purdue.
Dease, who is graduating in May with a degree in kinesiology/exercise science, will pursue a master’s degree while at Valpo. Off the course, he enjoys spending time with his 10-month-old daughter, Cohen.
“Being a father really puts into perspective that you don’t have another day, you have to do it now,” Dease said. “It’s motivating to know that someone else is depending on you.”
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