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Indiana Basketball Set to Host Top-20 2029 Big Man Mason Grivna on Early Visit

The Hoosiers are in the mix early for highly-touted 2029 big Mason Grivna, who recently set an unoffical visit to Bloomington.
Ballard's Mason Grivna (23) flexes after making a three pointer as the Bruins battle the St. Xavier Tigers in the KHSAA 7th Region boys basketball final at Valley High School on March 9, 2026, in Louisville, Ky.
Ballard's Mason Grivna (23) flexes after making a three pointer as the Bruins battle the St. Xavier Tigers in the KHSAA 7th Region boys basketball final at Valley High School on March 9, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Indiana basketball appears to be heavily involved early in the recruitment of 2029 big man Mason Grivna. Per 247 Sports’ Travis Branham are one of six schools set to receive an unofficial visit from Grivna in the coming weeks and months.

Notable programs including Purdue, Louisville and Kentucky are also involved. Grivna is the second Hoosiers target to reportedly line up a visit to Bloomington within the past week. 

Who is Mason Grivna?

A member of the class of 2029, Grivna is rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals, both of which slot him in the top 20 of his class. (247 Sports is yet to release any 2029 rankings.)

Grivna attends Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He is listed as a 6-foot-11, 220-pound center. 

Mason Grivna scouting report

Mason Grivn
Ballard's Mason Grivna (23) gets free for a layup during the first-round game between the Ballard Bruins and the Manual Crimsons in the 2025 Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley High School on Monday, January 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A dominant two-way player, Grivna is equally potent on both ends of the floor. Offensively, it all starts with his post-up game. 

He seals hard and, after making a catch, uses his body to carve out space and then finish at the cup. He isn’t extremely flashy on the block, but Grivna gets to his spots. And, of note, he has relatively soft touch on floaters and bunnies. 

In transition, Grivna is an excellent rim runner. He sprints hard and he is a surprisingly fluid mover for his age and size. His jumper is also thoroughly encouraging. 

Although it’s fairly slow, it’s mechanically sound and, most importantly, he hits it. And for a 6-foot-11 sophomore in high school to be effective in any manner as a shooter is flat-out impressive – and, of course, signals he’ll be an inside-out threat in college. 

Defensively, the most eye-catching aspect of Grivna’s game is his discipline. Players with his size and length tend to jump out of their shoes, leaving their feet on every ball fake and eyebrow raise. But Grivna just consistently walls up, gets a good contest and then erases a shot once it leaves an offensive player's hands. 

He’s also, again, unexpectedly mobile and although he won’t be clamping up guards, Grivna can survive against more athletic forwards. And he’s naturally excellent in help side. 

How would Mason Grivna fit at Indiana?

Mason Grivn
Ballard Mason Grivna (23) attempts to block the shot of St. Xavier Jermaine Cameron (0) during action of their game at St. Xavier High School, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 in Louisville Ky. Ballard won 73-70. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It’s far too early in Grivna’s high school career to make any concrete predictions. And one can only imagine the state of Indiana’s roster come 2029-2030. 

But Grivna isn’t getting any smaller – which means his shot-blocking and rebounding will always be a strength. Presumably, he’ll continue to grow as a post player and if the jumper also blossoms, he’ll be an extremely versatile two-way threat by the time college rolls around.

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Indiana basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features, and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024.

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