Utah Prep Wins Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship in China

Stacked with a star-studded roster led by AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, Utah Prep recently won the Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship. The event took place in Shanghai, China.

The only team representing the United States in the tournament, the private prep school based in Hurricane defeated teams from Australia, Serbia, Canada, and China on their path to the championship. One of their victories was against the Shanghai Sharks developmental team, which included four players from the organization’s men’s team from the Chinese Basketball Association.

Utah Prep took down the U18 Chinese National Team, 95-79, to claim the title, a game in which Dybantsa and fellow Utah Prep standout JJ Mandaquit dominated with 32 and 23 points, respectively.

Dybantsa added seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the victory. He was also named MVP of the tournament.

“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. “Coach Yamzon and staff did a fantastic job of preparing the guys with just a few days of practice before leaving. We’re ery excited about the group at Utah Prep this year.”

Dybantsa believes this can be the first of several championships for Utah Prep this season, 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.”

One of the most sought-after prospects in the country and widely considered to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Dybantsa announced his transfer to Utah Prep in May. The move reunited him with Mandaquit, with whom he was roommates on Team USA’s squad that earned the Gold Medal at the U17 World Cup in Turkey.

In addition to Dybantsa and Mandaquit, Utah Prep’s roster is packed with talent, including Idaho commit Jackson Rasmussen, rising 2026 four-star Anthony Felesi, and three-star senior 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.”

Utah Prep will tip off the 2024-2025 season in November and will again play in the Grind Session, a winter circuit of high school basketball events from late November until early March that consists of elite teams from all over North America. To put into perspective how good this circuit is: over the past 10 years, more than 50 players from the Grind Session have gone on to play in the NBA, nearly half of which were first round NBA draft picks.