Southeastern Prep Academy is officially joining the Grind Session Power Conference for the 2025-2026 season, signaling a bold new era for the rising Orlando-based program. After making a strong impression last year in limited appearances on the circuit, the Orlando, Florida-based program is now stepping into the spotlight as a full-time contender—armed with elite talent and championship aspirations.
“Southeastern Prep is ready to make its mark as a permanent fixture on our circuit and earn even more respect among the nation’s top programs,” said Grind Session co-founder and CEO Scott Waldrop. “We’re excited to officially welcome them to the Power Conference and have no doubt they’ll be one of the must-watch teams this year.”
What You Need to Know About the Grind Session and Power Conference
Formed in 2014, the Grind Session is the first-ever and longest-running winter circuit of high school basketball events from late November until early March that consists of elite teams from all over the United States and Canada. To date, more than 3,000 Grind Session alumni have gone on to succeed at the collegiate and professional levels, with approximately 100 NBA players and more than 20 first-round NBA draft picks emerging from its ranks. That list includes recent NBA champions Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder).
As for the Power Conference, it offers the largest collection of elite boys prep basketball programs from the United States and Canada. This year’s conference will be anchored by 16 teams from at least eight states and Canada and feature nearly 20 players ranked in the Top 100 of the ’26, ’27 and ’28 classes. Several of those players are expected to become NBA lottery picks in the coming years.
“The Grind Session has always been about creating a platform where elite talent can rise, compete, and be seen. With the introduction of the Power Conference last year, we've taken that vision to the next level— every game is a battle, every player is a prospect, and every team is built to win. It’s not just a conference; it’s the proving ground for the next generation of stars,” said Waldrop.
Southeastern Prep Stacking Talent for a Big Run
Southeastern Prep finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-8 record while competing in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) and facing Florida powers like Montverde Academy, DME Academy, West Oaks Academy, and The Rock School.
This summer, Southeastern Prep re-tooled their roster, starting with the addition of Head Coach David Peavy, who led Duncanville High School in Texas to a 27-7 record last season and a Top 25 finish (No. 22) in the final national high school boys basketball rankings. They also bolstered their roster with three big-time talents in juniors CJ Rosser, Obinna Ekezie Jr., and Beckham Black, all of whom are ranked as Top 25 talents in the country.
C.J. Rosser | 6-9, 195 | Power Forward
Five-star Rosser is a consensus Top 5 prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle. Rivals.com has him ranked as the country’s No. 2 overall prospect, while the 247Sports Composite and ESPN have him tabbed No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. He is also the consensus top-ranked power forward in the country.
Rosser played his first two seasons of high school basketball with Northern Nash High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he averaged 14.5 points and 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. This summer, he helped USA Basketball capture the gold medal at the FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup in Juarez, Mexico. At the event, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks in six starts.
Meanwhile, Rosser’s growing scholarship offer sheet includes Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Syracuse, TCU, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others.
Obinna Ekezie, Jr. | 6-11, 220 | Center
Ekezie is a five-star recruit and another consensus Top 5 prospect in the 2027 class. He ranks No. 3 overall by Rivals.com, No. 4 by the 247Sports Composite, and No. 5 by ESPN. He’s also the consensus No. 1 center in the country.
He played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Prolific Prep, before announcing his departure for Southeastern Prep. Last season, he averaged around 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks per game, helping Prolific Prep not only to its third consecutive Grind Session World Championship and fourth title in six years but also to the Chipotle Nationals semifinals.
Ekezie currently holds more than 20 offers from notable schools such as Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA, and several others.
Beckham Black | 6-0, 180 | Point Guard
Black is the younger brother of current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black and a consensus Top 25 prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle. He currently ranks No. 9 by ESPN, No. 16 by Rivals.com, and No. 22 by the 247Sports Composite. ESPN also has him as the nation’s No. 1 point guard.
A four-star recruit, Black made a significant rise in the national player rankings after impressing this summer as a key contributor to USA Basketball’s gold medal run at the FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup.
He has drawn interest from the likes of Arkansas, Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Utah, Virginia, and others since the June 15th contact period began.
