Darryn Peterson and No. 2 Prolific Prep headline the field stacked with future college and professional talent
BENTON, Ky. –Some of the country’s best prep basketball players and teams are playing in St. Louis this weekend.
The Grind Session, a winter circuit of elite high school basketball events featuring top prospects in the U.S and Canada., will host a three-day showcase at McCluer North High School (705 Waterford Dr, Florissant, MO) and Missouri Baptist University (1 College Park Dr, St. Louis, MO) from Thursday through Saturday.
The event will feature 14 teams from 10 states and Canada, 12 games, 10 top-rated prospects, and the No. 2 team in the country.
Darryn Peterson, the No.2-rated prospect in the Class of 2025 and a presumptive lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, headlines a field filled with future college and professional talent. The 6-foot-6 guard plays for Prolific Prep, which currently holds the No. 2 spot in the ESPN High School Basketball Top 25 team rankings.
Among the other Top 100-rated prospects playing in St. Louis this weekend, include:
- Niko Bundalo, Jr., Prolific Prep – Class of 2025 #28 prospect (ESPN)
- Winters Grady, Prolific Prep – Class of 2025 #41 prospect (Rivels)
- Paulo Semedo, West Oaks Academy – Class of 2025 #77 prospect (ESPN)
- Marial Akuentok, Fort Erie International – Class of 2025 #87 prospect (On3)
- Arafan Diane, Iowa United Prep – Class of 2026 #40 prospect (On3)
- Willie Burnett III, West Oaks Academy – Class of 2026 #60 prospect (ESPN)
- Marcis “Baby Shaq” Ponder, West Oaks Academy – Class of 2026 #55 prospect (On3)
- Gabe Nesmith, Prolific Prep – Class of 2027 #8 prospect (ESPN)
- Obinna Ekezie, Prolific Prep – Class of 2027 #10 prospect (ESPN)
“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 to prepare for the next chapter of your basketball career,” said Grind Session co-founder and CEO Scott Waldrop. “We’re excited about bringing the action to St. Louis and look forward to an exciting three days of elite prep basketball.”
The showcase opens with one game on Thursday night, continues with six games on Friday, and concludes with five games on Saturday.
Here’s the full schedule:
McCluer North High School
Thursday, December 19
7:00 p.m. – McCluer North (MO) vs. Grissom High School (AL)
Friday, December 20
4:00 p.m. – Fort Erie International 2 (ON CAN) vs. Wesley Christian (KY)
5:30 p.m. – Grind Prep (OK) vs. Balboa School (FL)
7:00 p.m. – McCluer North (MO) vs. Douglass High School (OK)
Missouri Baptist University
Friday, December 20
5:00 p.m. – Chi Prep (IL) vs. Huntington Expression Prep (WV)
6:30 p.m. – Fort Erie International (ON, CAN) vs. West Oaks Academy (FL)
8:00 p.m. – Prolific Prep (CA) vs. St. John’s DME (WI)
Saturday, December 21
9:00 a.m. – Wesley Christian (KY) vs. Grind Prep (OK)
10:30 a.m. – Chi Prep (IL) vs. Fort Erie International 2 (ON, CAN)
4:15 p.m. – West Oaks Academy (FL) vs. Iowa United (IA)
5:45 p.m. – St. John’s DME (WI) vs. Huntington Expression Prep (WV)
7:15 p.m. – Balboa School (FL) vs. Fort Erie International (ON, CAN)
To put into perspective how good the Grind Session is: the circuit 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.
Admission is $15/day. Children 6 and under are free.
The games will be live streamed on Tanager Sports.
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