Grind Session Will Bring 10 ESPN Top-50 Players to Murray

Projected 2026 No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa (3) will be playing in Murray for Utah Prep when the Grind Session is there Dec. 5-8.

By MICHAEL MISETIC

Some of the nation’s best high school basketball players and teams are headed to Murray for what’s sure to be the best weekend of prep hoops the small college town has ever seen.

The Grind Session, a winter circuit of high school basketball events featuring top boys and girls hoops prospects from across the U.S and Canada, will host a four-day showcase at CFSB Center and Calloway High School from Dec. 5-8.

The Grind Session has produced nearly 3,000 players who have gone on to play collegiate or professional basketball, including more than 20 first-round NBA draft picks. That list includes two recent NBA champions in Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

“The Grind Session has taken high school basketball to new heights, becoming the home and proving ground for the nation’s best prospects and teams. It’s more than just great games. It’s an opportunity for these kids to prepare for the next chapter of their basketball careers,” said Grind Session co-founder and CEO Scott Waldrop. “We’re excited about bringing the action to Murray and look forward to an exciting weekend of elite prep basketball.”

AJ Dybantsa, the top-rated prospect in the Class of 2025 and presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, headlines a field loaded with future college and professional talent. The 6-foot-9 forward plays for Utah Prep, one of 35 boys teams participating. Utah Prep is currently ranked No. 6 in ESPN’s 2024-25 high school boys’ basketball rankings.

Among the other boys teams is Napa, California’s Prolific Prep. Led by Darryn Peterson, the country’s consensus No. 3-ranked senior and recent Kansas commit, the team is ranked one spot ahead of Utah Prep (No. 5) in ESPN’s national rankings.

Utah Prep and Prolific Prep will face each other in the weekend’s marquee matchup on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.

The showcase will also feature six girls’ teams, highlighted by dunking sensation Oliviyah Edwards. The highly recruited Class of 2026 forward stars for Elite Prep out of Washington.

Eight Kentucky programs are competing in the showcase, including Murray High School, Calloway County High School, and Lyon County High School.

In all, the Grind Session event in Murray will feature 41 teams from 17 states and Canada, 37 games, and 10 ESPN Top 50-rated prospects.

Here’s the full list of the ESPN Top 50-rated prospects across the 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes who will take to the court in Murray.

Boy’s Side

• AJ Dybantsa, Utah Prep – Class of 2025 No. 1 prospect
• Darryn Peterson, Prolific Prep – Class of 2025 No. 3 prospect
• Niko Bundalo, Prolific Prep – Class of 2025 No. 25 prospect
• JJ Mandaquit, Utah Prep – Class of 2025 No. 47 prospect
• Ikenna Alozie, Dream City Christian – Class of 2026 No. 12 prospect
• Gabe Nesmith, Prolific Prep – Class of 2027 No. 6 prospect
• Martay Barnes, Academy of Central Florida – Class of 2027 No. 12 prospect
• Obinna Ekezie, Prolific Prep – Class of 2027 No. 19 prospect

Girl’s Side

• Bella Hines, Albuquerque Prep – Class of 2025 #29 prospect
• Oliviyah Edwards, Elite Prep – Class of 2026 #4 prospect

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Admission is $15 a day, and kids age 6 and under are free.