As the Grind Session regular season comes to a close, all eyes turn to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the journey to crown the 2024-25 Grind Session World Champion begins. The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place at Highland High School, setting the stage for a thrilling battle among the nation’s top prep basketball programs.
One team has stood above the rest all season—Prolific Prep. The Crew finished the regular season undefeated, securing the top seed in the 16-team bracket for season 11 of the Grind Session. Head Coach Ryan Bernardi has built a powerhouse program, and his squad is now on the cusp of making history. Prolific Prep will open the postseason against The Patrick School at 6:45 PM on Friday, March 14th.
Joining Prolific Prep as top contenders are #2 seed Dream City Christian, #3 seed Winston-Salem Christian, and #4 seed DME Academy. Dream City Christian will take on DNA Prep at 8:30 PM on Friday, while Winston-Salem Christian faces DME Wisconsin at 3:15 PM on Saturday. DME Academy, representing Florida, will battle Colorado Prep at 5:00 PM on Saturday.
Coach Bernardi’s dominance in the Grind Session cannot be overstated. Over the past three seasons, his teams have lost just one game in regular-season play, and now they are in pursuit of an unprecedented three-peat. Reflecting on his team’s incredible season, Bernardi expressed his pride, stating, “We are extremely thrilled about winning the regular season Grind Session by going undefeated. This group has made history as the second team to ever go undefeated in an entire Grind Session regular season, with last year’s Prolific team.”
This season, Prolific Prep has battled injuries up and down the roster, forcing players to step up in key moments. “This group has gone through a lot of adversity and has met the challenge every step of the way. Darryn Peterson has been the consummate leader on and off the floor, but we have needed contributions from up and down the roster on a given night,” Bernardi said.
With history on the line, Bernardi and his squad are laser-focused on the ultimate goal: lifting the championship trophy in Lawrence, Kansas, on March 23rd. “The opportunity to win our third Grind Session tournament in a row is a huge one. Our players and staff will do everything we can to cut down the nets in Lawrence, Kansas, in two weeks. The field is as strong as ever, so we will need to be at our best. Looking forward to Salt Lake City.”
But as history has shown, March is the season of surprises. Will a Cinderella team emerge to shake up the bracket? Could DNA Prep pull off a stunner against #2 Dream City Christian? Will The Patrick School challenge Prolific Prep’s dominance? And could we see another showdown between Utah Prep and Prolific Prep, featuring two of the nation’s brightest stars, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson?
Their battles bring echoes of classic rivalries like Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird in the late 1970s and early ’80s. With high-level talent, electrifying matchups, and the weight of history on the line, the Grind Session playoffs promise to be must-watch basketball. The road to Lawrence, Kansas, begins this weekend in Salt Lake City, and by March 23rd, one team will be crowned champion. What a way to wrap up an incredible 11th season of the Grind Session!
