Top High School NIL Earner Leads Grind Session’s Utah Prep to Championship in China

One of the highest NIL-earning high school basketball stars helped lead his team to victory overseas.

Utah Prep basketball team celebrating their championship at the Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship in China. / Mandatory Credit - Grind Session, Utah Prep and Overtime PR

High school basketball star AJ Dybansta is the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class. According to On3 NIL valuation, he is No. 3 among high school athletes with $615,000 and that number will only continue to grow as he continues racking up accolades on the court.

His most recent accomplishment came while playing in China, representing Grind Session’s  Utah Prep in the Shanghai Future Basketball Championship.

Utah Prep was the only team representing the United States in the tournament, playing against teams from Australia, Serbia, Canada and the host China. One of the squads that Dybansta led his team to victory over was a Shangai Sharks developmental team that included four players from the men’s team in the Chinese Basketball Association.

In the championship game, Dybansta proved too much to handle for the U18 Chinese National Team they went up against. 

He scored 32 points with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, while earning MVP honors for the tournament. In the title game, his highly-ranked teammate JJ Mandaquit added 23 points in the 95-79 victory.

“This tournament was a great way to start the year and it’s always good to start on a positive note,” said Utah Prep’s athletic director Shane Hayden said in the press release. “Coach Yamzon and staff did a fantastic job of preparing the guys with just a few days of practice before leaving. We’re very excited about the group at Utah Prep this year.”

Dybansta has been at Utah Prep only since May, but he has made his presence felt immediately. The presumed No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is being recruited by several of the top programs in the country for what will likely be a one-and-done college career.

In his opinion, this is just the beginning for the team, saying, “I think we’re definitely up there for a Grind Session title. And I think with that, we could get invited to compete for a national championship at the Chipotle Nationals.”

He will have a lot of help in achieving those goals. In addition to Mandaquit, Utah Prep also has Idaho commit Jackson Rasmussen, 2026 four-star player Anthony Felesi and three-star prospect Jaden Vance.

“I think we have one of the deepest and balanced rosters in the country,” said Hayden. “We have 11 division one prospects on this team and each of them understands and embraces their role. We also have arguably one of the toughest schedules in the country. It’s going to be an absolute grind this season and everyone is ready for the challenges ahead.”

The 2024-25 Grind Session season will begin in November and run through early March, pitting some of the best teams from around North America against each other. This is an elite pool of talent as more than 50 players from Grind Session in the last 10 years have gone on to play in the NBA.