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The first and the longest-running winter basketball circuit, The Grind Session, involves top high school basketball recruits from the United States and Canada. Tipping off in Salt Lake City on Friday, the circuit will feature teams from 10 states and Canada and 20 of the country's top 100 recruits, according to a press release by The Grind Session.
These recruits include AJ Dybantsa, the BYU signee and the 2025 class's No. 1 recruit, Kansas signee Darryn Peterson and more.
Top 5 players to watch out for in the Grind Session High School Basketball World Championships
Three of the top five players to watch out for at the Salt Lake City Grind Session earned their spot in the McDonald's All-American Game, set to be played on April 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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5. JJ Mandaquit
Washington signee and the No. 48 recruit in the Class of 2025 (according to On3's Industry Rankings), Mandaquit plays alongside AJ Dybantsa at Utah Prep. The 6-foot-1 point guard received interests from programs including Hawaii, California, USC and BYU, among others.
He also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey after averaging 6.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per match.
4. Xavion Staton
Another Utah Prep player, 6-foot-11 center Xavion Staton, will join AJ Dybantsa at BYU next season after rejecting offers from UNLV, Stanford, Michigan and USC, among others. Ranked at the 33rd spot nationally, fourth among centers and third in Utah, Staton played for Sierra Vista High School before transferring to Utah Prep last year.
3. Niko Bundalo
JJ Mandaquit's future Washington teammate, Niko Bundalo, has been phenomenal for Prolific Prep this season. The McDonald's All-American player ranks at the 32nd spot nationally, sixth among power forwards and sixth in California. The four-star recruit had offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, North Carolina and more.
Bundalo also played in the Adidas 3SSB for Wildcat Select and posted averages of 14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, shooting nearly 35% from 3-point range.
2. Darryn Peterson
The 2025 Naismith Boys' High School Player of the Year, Darryn Peterson, will be beside Niko Bundalo representing Prolific Prep at The Grind Session. He will be joining the Kansas Jayhawks next season after he considered offers from Ohio State, Kentucky and more.
Last time he faced AJ Dybantsa and Utah Prep at The Grind Session, Peterson scored 58 points to grab a 76-70 win.
1. AJ Dybantsa
The No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa and Xavion Staton will be looking to get revenge on Darryn Peterson and Prolific Prep. Dybantsa announced his much-awaited decision to join BYU on Dec. 10 after considering offers from Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina and more.
Dybantsa has displayed his scoring prowess at The Grind Session after scoring 49 points against Prolific Prep, 29 points against Huntington Prep and 38 points against Iowa United.
Which player are you most looking forward to watching at The Grind Session?
