This past Thursday and Friday, I got to cover some marquee games at the Grind Session in Owensboro, KY. Some of the highest-ranked talent in the next few classes were in attendance. Two players that should be vying for their names being called first in a future NBA draft had a head-to-head matchup. 2026 Bruce Branch (Prolific Prep) and 2027 CJ Rosser (Southeastern Prep) went head-to-head, and neither left with an edge.
Grind Session recap.
Thursday game:
Game 1
Gillion Academy 73 vs Hamilton Heights 65
Gillion came out a little sluggish and let a pesky Hamilton Heights stay in the game until the last few minutes. 2026 Mississippi State commit Wille Burnett took over in the second half and finished with 18 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds. Big man 2026 FSU commit Marcis Ponder once again dominated the paint and finished with another double-double: 13 points and 17 rebounds and numerous blocks. Hamilton Heights was led by 2026 PG BJ Bradford, who tried to keep them close with 20 points.
Game 2
Academy of Central Florida 79 vs Winston Salem Christian 60
This game didn’t have a good flow for the most part of it. Neither team could find a good rhythm. If anything was a positive for me was seeing the versatility of 2026 Felipe Minzer of ACF. He didn’t shoot it well, but his ability to see the floor and hit the open man was fun to watch. He finished with 9 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Top 50 2027 G Martay Barnes added 19 points. Winston Salem was led by 2026 Georgia Southern commit Elton James, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Game 3
Prolific Prep 75 vs. Southeastern Prep 64
This game marked a star-studded game of Florida two prep powerhouses. Prolific Prep with 4 top 10 ranked players throughout all classes and Southeastern Prep with 3 top 20 players throughout all classes. The matchup with Bruce Branch and CJ Rosser really never panned out; each player cancelled each other out. The story of the game was the return of top 5, 2026 Caleb Holt. He came back with a splash; he finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds. My favorite pure PG in the 2027 Beckham Black tried to keep Southeastern in the game with 14 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds.