WHO ARE THE ATHLETES?
Meet the faces of Grind Prep Academy
Editor's note: This story is Part 2 of a four-part series offering an in-depth examination of Grind Prep, a new prep school in Oklahoma looking to change the high school basketball game. From the inception to the players to the viability of such a school,
The Oklahoman will look at every aspect.
Sania Richardson sat at a courtside desk while fans, some sporting her school’s sleek logo on their sweatshirts, trickled through the doors of southwest Oklahoma City’s Woodson Gym.
Richardson wasn’t competing on that Friday night in February, but where else would you find Grind Prep’s four-star point guard in the heart of basketball season?
During her night off from running the girls team’s offense, Richardson ran the clock for Grind Prep’s boys game. It’s not unusual to see Richardson, a top-50 national recruit in the class of 2025, spending her leisure time this way. The athletes at Oklahoma City’s new basketball-centric academy support one another.
“Of course, we’re the first foundation of kids, so it’s cool,” Richardson said. “We’re kind of making history right now.”
Richardson had intended to stay in her hometown of Ada, about 80 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, for her junior season.
Then Grind Prep came calling.
With IMG Academy and other established prep schools vying for her attention, Richardson instead took a chance on this new venture.
“I’m really happy and glad I made the decision,” Richardson said.
Less than a full year into Grind Prep Academy’s existence, it’s impossible to tell whether the tuition-based school will have longevity as a powerful force in amateur basketball.
But some names on Grind Prep’s rosters offer proof of a crucial early step: Carlos Adamson, CEO and girls basketball coach, is persuading high-level prospects to believe in his vision.
Adamson said the high school girls team has 11 players, and the boys team has 10.
While some of Grind Prep’s targets have opted to stay at in-state public schools, the academy has attracted enough stars to enter the booming prep school world as a legitimate contender.
Richardson left the hometown she always knew, moving away from her parents and brothers to join Grind Prep.
Senior guard Cedric Dixon made a similar sacrifice, leaving Tulsa Union to live with his sister in OKC and attend the academy.
What drew these talented teenagers to the downtown classrooms nestled above Joey’s Pizzeria?
The answer starts with Grind Prep’s founders.
How did Grind Prep build teams?
Adamson, known to players as “Coach Los,” combines college coaching experience with a deep knowledge of Oklahoma’s high school hoops scene. In 2018, Adamson restored Putnam West girls basketball to prominence with a state finals appearance. He has also worked with numerous rising stars – including Richardson – since their early days on the court, making a name for himself as a trainer.
After coaching on Eastern Michigan’s women’s basketball staff from 2018-23, Adamson returned to Oklahoma on a mission to prepare athletes for college. He didn’t have to look far to find one Grind Prep enrollee: junior guard Carlos Adamson Jr., his son.
The intrigue spread as Carlos Sr. teamed up with boys basketball coach Marques Warrior, who has led Oklahoma’s Below The Rim AAU program for 12 years.
Warrior noticed talented recruits leaving the state for prep schools. Edmond North point guard T.O. Barrett left for Link Academy in Missouri, while Bartlesville guard David Castillo chose Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
“We’re losing top players in Oklahoma to prep schools for bigger exposure,” Warrior said. “Oklahoma basketball is growing, and they need a bigger opportunity.”
Adamson and Warrior see Grind Prep as the answer.
The boys team has shown its skill with highflying dunks and deep 3s, but Grind Prep’s biggest names are on the girls side.
During its inaugural season, Grind Prep’s girls team had no seniors. Instead, Grind – which doubles as a standalone word and an acronym for Greatness Resides in Determination – focused on building with young talent.
Combo guard De’Andra Minor, a top-25 recruit on ESPN’s national class of 2027 watch list, decided to spend her freshman year at Grind instead of Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Classen SAS.
Grind Prep has also brought in sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Because the independent school operates outside the Oklahoma Second
ary School Activities Association’s rules, some middle schoolers play up on Grind Prep’s high school teams or compete against junior varsity squads.
The prelude to Grind Prep’s varsity game against Life Prep at Woodson Gym was just as intriguing as the main event. Grind Prep’s dauntless middle school boys team kept up with Life Prep’s JV players despite some obvious height mismatches.
Picture Muggsy Bogues vs. Shaquille O’Neal. It’s a fast-paced, intense environment for young athletes, and it’s only a sneak peek of the next level.
Why did students and families choose Grind Prep?
Grind Prep serves as a sampler platter that introduces different aspects of the college basketball experience to students in digestible portions. They learn how to balance workouts and online classes. They travel around the country for games.
This approach appealed to Douglass girls basketball coach Latesha Woods. Her daughter, Justice Woods, is spending her eighth-grade year at Grind Prep with plans to play high school ball for her mom at Douglass, an Oklahoma City Public School with a rising girls basketball program that reached the Class 4A state semifinals in March.
Across the state, public school coaches have expressed an assortment of thoughts on Grind Prep. Warrior chuckled at the mention of coaches’ opinions. Many regard Grind Prep with skepticism.
Some, including Woods, see Grind Prep as a beneficial pathway for students who know they want to compete at the next level. Woods said she has consistently seen college coaches attending Grind Prep games, able to watch several recruits in one location.
“I think that it is a wonderful thing for athletes who are trying to go to college and play basketball,” Woods said. “You’re getting that elitelevel basketball, elite-level competition, day to day, and then the elite-level workouts, so you’re able to touch a basketball more than an average high school student (does).”
This has produced results. Striving to prove themselves as newcomers among dynamos, Grind Prep’s boys and girls teams finished the inaugural season with winning records.
While creating a college-like, basketball-oriented environment, Adamson also incorporates classic elements of the high school experience. It’s a bridge between levels.
One day, you’re traveling out of state to face prestigious programs in a tournament. The next day, you’re dressing up for a school dance.
“One of the biggest hurdles that we had to overcome when it came to recruiting kids and getting them to come was the social aspect of school,” Adamson said. “... It’s a small school; it’s almost that homeschool feel. Kids really wanted to be in a school setting and (have) dances and proms and all of that stuff. We still give them that feel, that element.”
Grind Prep, which can recruit athletes because of its non-affiliation with the OSSAA, hasn’t been successful with every attempt. It all depends on individual fit.
Oregon commit Janiyah Williams stuck with Edmond Memorial, and OU commit Keziah Lofton stayed at Bethany while her seventh-grade brother chose Grind Prep.
Other top recruits are coached by their parents – for example, Keeley Parks of Norman girls basketball and Jalen Montonati of Owasso boys basketball – which would make Grind Prep a much tougher sell.
Of Oklahoma’s seven nationally ranked girls basketball recruits in the class of 2025, six play for public schools.
But one superstar has brought attention to Grind Prep.
Richardson received the season MVP award from the National Athletic Association for Independent Schools, the six-team league that includes Grind Prep. The 5-foot-5 phenom averaged 24 points, 2.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
“She was definitely the standout,” said former WNBA coach Shell Dailey, co-commissioner of the league.
Richardson’s story is an organic testimonial. And her praise for Grind Prep extends beyond the basketball court.
She loves the chicken alfredo prepared by Grind Prep chef Kalise Carter. Richardson has close friends at the academy. In October, her peers celebrated her birthday during a school dance in Grind Prep’s ballroom. They sang to her, making the downtown space above Joey’s Pizzeria feel not so far from home.
“It’s been amazing,” Richardson said. “This is really a blessing. We finally have something like this in Oklahoma, and I think it’s really cool.”
Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @halliehart. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
“I think that it is a wonderful thing for athletes who are trying to go to college and play basketball. You’re getting that elite-level basketball, elite-level competition, day to day, and then the elite-level workouts, so you’re able to touch a basketball more than an average high school student (does).”
Latesha Woods Douglass girls basketball coach