BYU Signee AJ Dybantsa Set To Play Tournament Games In SLC

SALT LAKE CITY – BYU basketball signee AJ Dybantsa is set to play in front of fans along the Wasatch Front.

Dybantsa and Utah Prep will be in action on Saturday and Sunday at Highland High School. It’s part of The Grind Session Playoffs, a winter circuit league for international high school basketball.

Along with Dybantsa, future BYU signee Xavion Staton will also be in action, along with 2026 four-star Anthony Felesi.

AJ Dybantsa, Utah Prep, to play at Highland High School

Utah Prep, who earned the 6-seed in The Grind Session World Championship field, will take on 11-seed The Fort from Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m. (MDT).

Fans can attend by purchasing tickets online or at the door at Highland High School. General admission tickets are $15 each. Highland High School students with a Student ID can get in at $5.

The winner of Utah Prep/The Fort will then play on Sunday, March 16, at 4:15 p.m. (MDT) against either Winston Salem (North Carolina) or DME Academy (Wisconsin).

🚨 OFFICIAL UPDATED GRIND SESSION BRACKETS ARE HERE! 🚨

🔥 THE ROAD TO A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS NOW! 🔥

72+ countries represented. The best of the best. Who’s taking the crown?! 👀🔥

⏳ The Grind Starts NOW! #GrindSession #WorldChampionship #WhoWantsItMore

📍Highland… pic.twitter.com/YSGlaVjK4q

— The Grind Session (@thegrindsession) March 13, 2025

Sixteen high school teams are competing in the three-day event at Highland High School. Prolific Prep, led by Kansas signee and No. 2 recruit Darryn Peterson, defeated Patrick School from New Jersey 94-90 on Friday.

There are 20 Top 100 recruits from the 2025, 2026, and 2027 recruiting classes participating in The Grind Session games in Salt Lake City this weekend.

The teams who win two games this weekend will advance to play in the semifinals of The Grind Session in Lawrence, Kansas, on March 22.

AJ Dybantsa remains the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle. He signed with BYU basketball in December.

Earlier this month, he was honored at Utah Prep for his McDonald’s All-American recognition.

The Grind Session Championship schedule in Salt Lake City

Friday, March 14, 2025

• (1) Prolific Prep (CA) 94, (16) Patrick School (NJ) 90
• (10) Ft. Erie (ON, CAN) 84, (7) West Oaks (FL) 81
• (2) Dream City Christian (AZ) 97, (15) DNA Prep (CA) 63

Saturday, March 15, 2025

• 1:30 p.m.: (8) Academy of Central Florida vs. (9) Royal Crown School (ON. CAN)
• 3:15 p.m.: (3) Winston Salem Christian (NC) vs. (14) DME Wisconsin
• 5 p.m.: (4) DME Academy Florida vs. (13) Colorado Prep
• 6:45 p.m.: (5) Iowa United vs. (12) Huntington Expression Prep (WV)
• 8:30 p.m.: (6) Utah Prep vs. (11) The Fort (ON. CAN)

Sunday, March 16, 2025 – Quarterfinals

• 11:00 a.m.: (2) Dream City Christian (AZ) vs. (10) Ft. Erie (ON. CAN)
• 12:45 p.m.: Winners of 4/13 and 5/12 games
• 2:30 p.m.: (1) Prolific Prep vs. Academy of Central FL/Royal Crown Winner
• 4:15 p.m.: Winners of 3/14 and 6/11 games

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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