How does a trip to Rome, Italy to see the sights, be a tourist, and play a basketball game sound for this week?
Life could be worse.
One cool thing about the sport of basketball is it allows folks to do just that, who may not ever get that opportunity again.
Two of the top-ranked prospects in the country in Beckham Black and CJ Rosser along with their Southeastern Prep teammates got just that chance, the opportunity of a lifetime, receiving an invite to play overseas for a international exhibition game in The Grind Session’s 2026 Bridge of Hoops.
As four of America’s top teams challenge four of Europe’s elite programs in this event, Southeastern Prep (FL) matched up with BC Dubai (UAE) at the Stella Azzurra Roma arena in Rome, Italy.
Rosser and Black came out hungry looking for shots in a game where two of their fellow Southeastern Prep starters missed the action, with the duo combining for a whopping 76 points, 26 rebounds, and 15 assists in a win over Dubai Basketball’s U18 team, via nbadraftpoint scouting on the scene.
Luka Malovic didn’t disappoint for Dubai Academy, either, coming to play as a bonafide bucket getter in his own right, who can absolutely light it up from downtown, pouring in 39 points on 6/8 3PT shooting of his own.
Malovic posted a box score of 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists for Dubai against Southeastern Prep in this Grind Session Rome event, while drilling 6/8 3P, 6/11 2P, and 9/13 FT. He stared two of the top prospects in his draft class down in the eye and didn’t back down in what turned into an epic back-and-forth shotmaking contest that could only be rivaled by a professional game of H.O.R.S.E.
Still, it was Southeastern Prep that pulled out the dub, primarily off the backs of those two top prospects.
CJ Rosser stuffed the stat sheet for SEPA in the Win over Dubai, posting a line of 31 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 stocks (steals+blocks) while shooting 11-26 FG / 7-14 3P / 2-2 FT.
Beckham Black balled out, to say the least, coming up just 5 points short of a 50-point triple double with an absolutely bonkers box score of 45 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals on a superbly efficient scoring night of 14-25 FG / 5-9 3P / 12-15 FT.
Nicholas Wuthrich was the surprise player of the game who popped out right away, impressing more and more as the game goes on. Blazing his own trail as a relative youngster on the roster, he was speeding past every defender on the court and creating advantages with his burst driving into the paint. A one-man four-point swing, Wuthrich picked off two passes for pick-six opportunities, one of which he converted into a hit-ahead assist. Later, he splashed a handoff three and then a middy pull-up fadeaway for good measure. The shoot, speed, instincts and touch indicators are real.