Mikel Brown Jr.

The 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup tipped off over the weekend in Lausanne, Switzerland and the competition is loaded with an impressive lineup of Grind Session talent.

Here are the 14 former and current Grind Session stars representing their respective national teams and hoping to raise the championship trophy on July 6:

Grind Session Stars Shine at FIBA U19 World Cup as USA and Canada Go Undefeated

The stars of the Grind Session are taking center stage on the global basketball stage this week, as the FIBA U19 World Cup unfolds in Switzerland. With standout performances from Team USA, Team Canada, and now Cameroon, it’s clear that the Grind Session has become an international pipeline of elite talent.

Team USA: Five Grind Session Alums Fuel Dominance

Team USA is off to a 2–0 start in group play, powered by five elite Grind Session alumni:

The impressive list is expected to grow in the weeks and months ahead.

The Grind Session proudly announces that 89 senior athletes from the Class of 2025 have officially committed to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level during the 2025–2026 season.

These seniors are headed to college programs that span a diverse array of institutions, from NCAA Division I to junior colleges, reflecting the Grind Session’s role as a vital platform for developing and showcasing top-tier men’s and women’s talent across North America.

The best high school basketball players in the world took center stage on Saturday night at the Nike Hoop Summit. In the end, the Grind Session’s three participating stars in the men’s game – AJ Dybantsa (Utah Prep) Mikel Brown, Jr. (DME Academy), and Ikenna Alozie (Dream City Christian) – lived up to their hype.

Dybantsa and Brown starred for Team USA, while Alozie impressed as a member of the World squad.

Team USA edged out the World team in a thrilling 124–114 overtime victory.

AJ Dybantsa, Mikel Brown Jr, Ikenna Alozie, Bella Hines, and Nyadieng Yiech to battle this weekend in the elite showcase of tomorrow's college, NBA/WNBA stars.

Five Grind Session stars have been named to the USA and World rosters for the 26th Nike Hoop Summit, which features a men's and women's game between the top high school seniors in the country and the best prospects from around the world.

The McDonald's All-American Game took center stage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, showcasing the best high school basketball talent in the country. This year’s event was particularly special for The Grind Session, as four of its standout players were selected to compete in the prestigious game. AJ Dybantsa (Utah Prep), Darryn Peterson (Prolific Prep), Niko Bundalo (Prolific Prep), and Mikel Brown Jr. (DME Sports Academy) all represented The Grind Session as part of the West team.

Four of the Grind Session’s biggest stars of this past season showcased their skills in front of a national audience Tuesday in the 2025 McDonald's All-American Game, leading the West team to a 105-92 victory over the East. Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Niko Bundalo, and Mikel Brown, Jr. score nearly half of the team’s points in 105–92 victory.

A quartet of Grind Session players will be competing in the McDonald's All-American Game on Tuesday night inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

AJ Dybantsa of Utah Prep, Darryn Peterson and Niko Bundalo of Prolific Prep, and Mikel Brown Jr. of DME Sports Academy will be on the West team's 12-player roster for the annual high school all-star game.

The game is scheduled to broadcast nationally on ESPN at 9:00 p.m.

Grind Session stars AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Mikel Brown, Jr. have been named three of the 10 semifinalists for the 2025 Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year award. They still have a month to make their case for the prestigious award, which will be presented to one winner on March 7, 2025.

First presented in 1987 and given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to high school basketball’s top male and female player, the award is named after James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical education instructor best known for inventing the game of basketball. Previous winners include Kobe Bryant (1996), Lebron James (2003), Chris Webber (1991), Jason Kidd (1992), and Alonzo Mourning (1998), among other NBA superstars.