Grind Session's Power Play-In Tournament Standouts
In a tournament full of division-one collegiate talent, who were the prep-school prospects that stood out above the rest?
This weekend, I was in attendance for the Grind Session’s Power Play-In tournament, and I walked away impressed by many prep-school prospects that I wasn’t previously familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of competition, as the teams competing belonged to the Grind Session’s secondary conference. Many of the players were clearly high-major recruits, and several stood out to me as players who could make legitimate waves at the next level. In this write-up I want to cover a few of the players that stood out above the rest, many of whom aren’t being recruited at the rate they likely deserve.
Arafan Diane – 7’0” 280lbs – Center – Class of 2026 – Iowa United Prep
The most valuable, most eye-catching, and most college-ready player in this tournament was easily Iowa United Prep’s Arafan Diane. The junior center may have towered over his competition, but he was far more than just a physical presence. The broad-shouldered 7-footer was quick on his feet, moving in the open court as if he were a forward and showing off impressive footwork in the post. He utilized his impressive strength to improve his court position on both ends of the floor, but when he had the ball, he relied on soft touch shot making and feel around the rim.
This skill-based game is what stood out the most to me when watching Diane, as I’d be lying If I said I expected him to be anything but your average raw youngster still growing into his height. He was nearly automatic around the rim, showcasing a versatile shot diet consisting of post-hooks, push-shots, floaters, and turnaround jumpers. When he faced less resistance inside, he would still throw down powerful dunks, but it was refreshing to see him diversify his game with legitimate shot making.
What impressed me most defensively from Diane was his ability to stay vertical, contesting interior looks without fouling. He was able to stay on the floor throughout both games I watched of him, which is also a testament to his impressive stamina. He wasn’t gobbling up blocks surprisingly, but his mere presence was enough to keep opponents from challenging him at the basket. All in all, his ability to put a lid on the rim forced opposing teams to settle for a less-than-efficient shot diet and gave Iowa United a ton of flexibility on the defensive end.
He proved to be a naturally dominant rebounder mostly because of his stellar size advantage, but also because he got off the ground better than you’d expect from a near 300lb high schooler. This athletic pop was evident in multiple ways, as he also moved well laterally with smaller opponents. He wasn’t locking opponents down on the perimeter, but he did a good job keeping up with guards as they attempted to pressure the rim, forcing a ton of kickouts and offensive resets.
Overall, his two-way impact, efficient scoring, and effective interior defense paved the way for Iowa United to take the win at the tournament and secure their spot in the Grind Session’s power conference. Diane already has offers from schools such as Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, Louisville, Florida, Creighton, Utah, and several more. Based on what I saw from him in this tournament, I fully expect him to make a name for himself at the collegiate level in the future.
Willie Burnett III – 6'4” 165lbs – Combo Guard – Class of 2026 – West Oaks Academy Prep
No player stood out offensively quite like West Oaks’ Willie Burnett III, who filled up the stat sheet and provided some of the most electrifying performances of the weekend. While there were surely more efficient contributors in attendance, nobody was on Burnett’s level when he caught fire. His three-level scoring abilities were on full display as he more-or-less carried West Oaks on his shoulders in their semi-final win against Rosemary Anderson Prep and their finals loss to Iowa United.
Channeling his inner Vinnie Johnson, Burnett could best be described as a microwave scorer. He started off slow in both games I watched of him, but once he warmed up, he quickly jumped from a slow simmer to a full-on torch, going on long stretches where he seemingly couldn’t miss a shot. He was knocking down contested step-back threes, tough turnaround jump shots and blowing past his man for easy buckets at the rim. All in all, his shot making skills were second-to-none, and while his shot selection wasn’t the greatest, you can’t really argue with results.
He proved that he was comfortable playing the one, as he was composed when handling the ball, often using his impressive arsenal of moves to create significant advantages for himself. He regularly got his teammates involved in the offense, and while he wasn’t racking up assists, I was happy with his ability to move the ball and keep things flowing. I would have liked to see him run more pick-and-rolls with four-star center Marcis Ponder, but that can be improved upon in future games.
Burnett didn’t necessarily stand out on the defensive end, but I also didn’t notice him making defensive mistakes either. Based on what I saw, he doesn’t have the size or stature to be a defensive stopper at the moment, but his height and wingspan are promising if he ends up playing the point. Perhaps he won’t end up being an effective point-of-attack defender, but he can always turn into a difference maker in help using the outlier physical traits that he does possess.
Burnett’s biggest offer as of today is probably from Murray State, but he also holds offers from Lafayette, Jacksonville, and Long Island. I fully expect him to get more attention from college programs sometime soon, because he could definitely play at the high-major level. That said, I think being the man for a mid-major program could be an intriguing pathway for him.
Kennedy Okpara – 6'7” 200lbs – Wing – Class of 2025 – Wilson Academy
This tournament was chock full of theoretical prospects. By that I mean players who, while they are physically advanced for their age, may still be catching up from a skill perspective. Wilson Academy’s Kennedy Okpara was the most intriguing of any of these guys for me, as his impressive physical profile and elite athletic abilities were apparent from the jump. If he puts a few puzzle pieces in place, this could be a guy who goes on to be a real NBA prospect down the road.
I watched Okpara play twice this weekend, and his impact was vastly different in each of these games. I actually didn’t really notice him the first day apart from some solid rebounding and standout defensive plays. However, the second day he was his team’s best player as Wilson Academy took down a very solid St. John’s DME Academy team. It was in this game where his complete arsenal was on display, and this arsenal was immediately noticeable and wildly impressive.
Offensively, Okpara has a smooth outside shot and he finds these shots by constantly moving off the ball. This efficient style of play translates to every level of the sport, as players like Okpara can seamlessly fit into just about any offensive system. He also showed that he’s an effective play-finishing cutter, regularly diving to the basket to apply rim pressure without the ball in his hands. His vertical leaping ability and overall athletic profile is what allows him to thrive in these situations, in addition to a solid wingspan on his 6’7” frame.
The defensive end is where he seems to be more advanced at the moment. He’s the ideal size for a wing defender at the high school level; combine this with his athleticism and defensive instincts and you get a very effective player on this end of the floor. I’m not sure I would consider him a defensive stopper quite yet, but he was definitely one of the best defenders I saw across the board this weekend.
Finally, something that stood out to me when watching Okpara was how he grabbed boards on both ends of the floor. He crashed the glass on almost every play, and the impact he made in this department was one of the primary reasons why Wilson Academy picked up the win. The offensive rebounds he picked up gave his team several extra possessions, and he himself finished several of these plays with easy layups. All in all, rebounding as a wing is a swing skill that scouts will notice every single time, and I noticed it from Okpara from the get-go.
The only issues I saw from Okpara seemed to be mental. He lacked assertiveness at times, and regularly found himself stuck in the corner, out of the play. This resulted in him losing his momentum on several occasions, causing him to disappear for stretches. However, he was able to regain momentum every time and kept a good attitude when he wasn’t a part of the gameplan. Okpara made a fan out of me this weekend, and I’m hoping more college programs notice him going forward.
Jean-Thomas Grondin – 6'7” 200lbs – Wing/Guard - Class of 2026 – St. John’s DME
Much like Okpara, Jean-Thomas Grondin was a player who I was unfamiliar with previous to watching him play this weekend, but who I walked away very impressed with. On a team with a LaTrevion Fenderson, a Wisconsin commit, and Kruz McClure, a DePaul commit, Grondin had to take what he could get within the offense. That’s exactly what he did.
Standing at 6’7”, it’s apparent that Grondin is probably more of a two-guard than a wing. Why? Because his wingspan is also 6’7”, and he used this neutral length to his advantage as an outside shooter. He was very impressive beyond the arc, knocking down threes in a myriad of ways off the ball. His mechanics are smooth and replicable, and at 6’7” he was able to shoot over the top of opposing guards.
Where he really stood out was in the mid-range, where he created his own shots and knocked them down at an efficient clip. An intelligent processor, Grondin only took shots that he knew he could make and only tried to find his shot when the opportunity presented itself. He was also solid around the rim, finding a few buckets around the basket both on and off the ball.
Defensively, he didn’t really stand out, but he remained a physical presence. Again, his height alone allowed him to have positive matchups against opposing guards, and his ability to move laterally with comfort allowed him to defend wings. He may not have picked up a ton of steals or blocks, but he did show off some impressive rebounding instincts on both ends. His natural timing on the glass was obvious when I watched him play, and to me this was a clear indication that he has a solid overall feel for the game.
Grondin wasn’t overly assertive or aggressive, which I would have liked to see here and there, but this isn’t the biggest deal in the world. I’d like to see how he looks playing more minutes at the two instead of the three to get a better idea of his long-term outlook, but for the time being I think he can play at both spots. He has flown under the radar from a recruitment perspective up to this point, but I fully expect that to change sometime soon.
Honorable Mentions
Marcis Ponder – 6'11 320lbs – Center – Class of 2026 – West Oaks Academy Prep
Culen Browne – 6'3” 160lbs – Combo Guard – Class of 2028 – Wilson Academy
Samuel Mbingazo – 6'8” 200lbs – Forward – Class of 2026 – Iowa United Prep
Kruz McClure – 6'5” 180lbs – Shooting Guard – Class of 2025 – St. John’s DME
Hunter Carter – 6'5” 190lbs – Point Guard – Class of 2025 – Rosemary Anderson Prep
Josiah Sanders – 6'4” 185lbs – Point Guard – Class of 2025 – Colorado Prep
LaTrevion Fenderson – 6'5” 205lbs – Guard/Forward - Class of 2026 – St. John’s DME
Caleb Cameron – 6'5” 180lbs – Combo Guard – Class of 2025 – Wilson Academy
Navon Shabazz – 6'3” 170lbs – Combo Guard – Class of 2026 – Iowa United Prep
I will say, this was a four-day tournament, and I was only able to be in attendance for two days. This means I could have missed a player who deserves to be included in this write-up or missed one of the honorable mention’s best games. I hope to scout more Grind Session events in-person going forward, and I hope this results in more of these players getting a longer and more in-depth breakdown at some point.