Prolific Prep of Napa is entering its second year as a program and has joined “The Grind Session,”, a group of top academies in the nation battling it out for the title of best in the USA.
The Crew will be facing off this season against world renowned Oak Hill Academy (Virginia), Hillcrest Academy (Arizona), Huntington Prep (West Virginia), Word of God Academy (North Carolina) and several other top schools. Besides Prolific Prep’s own Josh Jackson, ranked by many as the No. 1 player in the 2016 class, The Grind Session will feature nationally rated top 5 players Harry Giles, Thon Maker and Jayson Tatum.
“The Grind Session is all about getting the best players and teams in the country together,” Prolific Prep co-founder and assistant coach Philippe Doherty said, “Our players want to play the best and to be the best.”
Prolific Prep’s first game of the season is today (Wednesday) at Napa Valley College vs. Elite Educational Academy of Los Angeles. EEA is a post-graduate academy led by Key’on Johnson (Rancho Dominguez High), DaRae Elliott (Inglewood High) and D’Lano Beckles (Lawndale High). The Crew faced the visitors from the south twice last season, winning both close contests.
“I can’t wait to play for Prolific Prep,” Nathan Mensah, the 6-foot-10 sophomore who is originally from Ghana, said. “I am really excited for the step up in the level of competition.”
The Crew will be traveling all over the country and Canada this year with stops in New York, Kentucky and Michigan to name but a few. Prolific Prep's only returning players from last season are Jackson, Nick Lombardi and Amadou Sow. Most of the athletes on Prolific Prep have not traveled much in their sporting careers.
“My high school in Canada would play some teams in the USA but we didn’t travel much,” sharpshooting sophomore Khaleem Bennett said. “I am really excited to travel around the country to play the best players around.”
