Future NBA players expected at Grind Session in Hoptown

Some of the top high school basketball players in the country will be in Hopkinsville this week as the Grind Session returns to the city for 14 games over five days.

The first game is scheduled for tonight when No. 2-ranked Prolific Prep played Florida Coastal Prep. The game will be played around 8:30 p.m. following the Apollo-Hopkinsville girls' game at 7 p.m.

Prolific Prep is led by two Top 10 prospects in the senior class, Caleb Holt and Bruce Branch III. Both are projected to be 2027 NBA Draft lottery picks.

In addition, Kansas commit Davion Adkins and five-star junior Nasir Anderson also star for Prolific Prep, which plays again Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. against Winston Salem Christian.

Dan Hudson, the director of the Grind Session, was a guest on Tuesday’s Early Bird Show and said fans will get to see several future NBA stars this weekend.

Other prep teams in the event include Huntington Expression Prep (W. Va.), Pope John Paul II (Tenn.), Ridley College (Ontario, Can.), DNA Prep (Calif.), and Hamilton Heights (Tenn.)

Christian County, Hopkinsville, Todd County Central, Bowling Green, Evangel Christian, and Lyon County also will be playing in the event.

Girls’ teams from Christian County, Hopkinsville, Caldwell County, and Portland, Tenn., also will have games in the event.

Hudson said the rules for the Prep games will be slightly different than normal high school games.

Hudson also said the event will be back next year and the plan is for a bigger event at the new Christian County High School with its two college-size gym floors and the proximity to the Planters Bank-Jennie Stuart Health Sportsplex.

Admission for this weekend’s games is $10 per session or $22 for an all-event pass. Kids ages 6-and-under will be admitted free.

Here is the link to purchase tickets on GoFan.

https://gofan.co/event/5441926?schoolId=KY8632

Full Schedule:

Tuesday, Dec. 9:

8:30 p.m. – Prolific Prep (Fl.) vs. Florida Coastal Prep (Fl.)

Thursday, Dec. 11:

5:30 p.m. – Hopkinsville vs. Caldwell Co. (Girls) – 95.3 The Farm, 5:15 p.m.

7:00 p.m. – Christian Co. vs. Portland, Tenn. (Girls) – 95.3 The Farm, 6:45 p.m.

8:30 p.m. - Winston Salem Christian (N.C.) vs. Prolific Prep

Friday, Dec. 12:

6 p.m. – Huntington Expression Prep (W.V.) vs. Winston Salem Christian

7:45 p.m. – Lyon Co. vs. Florida Coastal Prep

Saturday, Dec. 13

12:00 p.m. – Florida Coastal Prep vs. Bowling Green

1:45 p.m. – Hamilton Heights (Tenn.) vs. Huntington Expression Prep

3:30 p.m. – Christian Co. vs. Evangel Christian – 95.3 The Farm, 3:15 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – Academy of Central Florida vs. DNA Prep (Calif.)

7:30 p.m. – Hoptown vs. Todd Central – 99.3 FM and 1230 AM WHOP, 7:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 14

11:00 a.m. – Ridley College vs. Academy of Central Florida

12:45 p.m. – DNA Prep vs. Hamilton Heights