PICTURED: AIDEN DERKACK slashed and crashed his way to a GymRat MVP in leading TEAM FINAL EYBL to a GymRat Championship. Ranked as the 45th top prospect nationally in the class of 2026 by ESPN, the high velocity rack attacker and NJ native is headed to SPIRE ACADEMY after leading his hometown COLONIA HIGH SCHOOL to three New Jersey State Championships. After weighing offers from Notre Dame, USC, Indiana, Villanova, Maryland, Miami and Creighton, the relentlessly competitive 6’6″ transition scoring machine committed to PROVIDENCE of the BIG EAST. (Photos, Eddie Quinn, GymRat Staff)

GymRat LIVE is the GREATEST SHOW IN GRASSROOTS BASKETBALL & the most exclusive event in America. Only 12 programs get in BY INVITATION ONLY. The GymRat LIVE field includes representatives of NIKE’s EYBL, the Under Armour Association and Adidas’ 3 Stripe Select Basketball Circuit, as well as top independent programs competing head to head in the ONLY CROSS-SNEAKER BRAND CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT ON THE PLANET. These Alpha v Alpha match-ups are presented in a full broadcast production available to every college coach in the country.

The 12 programs competing at GymRat LIVE also benefit from access to fundraising dollars through revenue share as a part of the GymRat COLLECTIVE. WAY more than a “circuit”….this is a MOVEMENT and among the reason that more players are recruited out of GymRat events than any other events in the nation!

Created as a complimentary addition to the legendary GymRat CHALLENGE events that have been the proving ground for today and tomorrow’s NCAA and NBA stars since 1998, GymRat LIVE provides one of the brightest spotlights ever to shine on the grassroots basketball landscape. GymRat LIVE IS LIKE NOTHING ELSE THAT HAS EVER TAKEN PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF GRASSROOTS BASKETBALL.

GymRat LIVE shines the greatest spotlight in all of grassroots basketball. As a true invitational event, there is no charge for teams to compete at GymRat LIVE. Teams are selected to compete at GymRat LIVE based on input from national and regional media members, sneaker company executives, basketball coaches, experts, and evaluators.

If you believe that your team or program deserves consideration to be invited to compete in GymRat LIVE, contact GymRat LIVE Executive Director, John Kmack, at 1-888-7-GYMRAT (1-888-749-6728) or email us at COMPETE@GymRatCHALLENGE.com.

Each year, players from throughout the United States & Canada gain national and regional notoriety and enhance their recruiting process based on their GymRat performances. The list of GymRat alums who have gone on to NCAA, WNBA, and NBA stardom is long, distinguished, and growing each year. The top of that list includes WNBA & NBA MVPs, World Champions, All-Stars, and Lottery Picks, NCAA Players of the Year, National Champions and All-Americans, Olympic Gold Medalists, McDonald’s All-American’s, and Naismith National High School Players of the Year.

The list of GymRat alums is long, distinguished….and growing every year. That list includes NBA MVP Steph Curry, NCAA players of the year & national champions Jimmer Fredette, Kemba Walker & Emeka Okafor perennial NBA all-stars Donovan Mitchell & Tobias Harris, 2018 NBA First Round Draft picks Mo Bamba (#6) & Kevin Huerter (#19) and 2019 Naismith National High School Player of the Year & Detroit Piston First Round selection (#16) Isaiah Stewart.

The GymRat talent parade is marching stronger than ever. At the very highest level, thirteen ALL-GymRat performers have received the ultimate honor of hearing their names called during the NBA Draft since 2022 alone. That list is led by former GymRat MVP Jalen Duren who was the #13 overall pick to the Detroit Pistons in the 2022 Draft. In the 2023 NBA Draft, a record four former ALL-GymRat selections were chosen among the top 60 players in the world led by Dereck Lively II (#12 to Dallas Mavericks), Jalen Pickett (#32 to Denver Nuggets), Andre Jackson, Jr. (#36 to Milwaukee Bucks) & Emoni Bates (#49 to Cleveland Cavaliers). The 2024 GymRat NBA Draft class included four more event alums with Donovan Clingan leading three NBA Lottery picks (#7 to Portland Trailblazers) followed by Matas Buzelis (#11 to Chicago Bulls), Bub Carrington (#14 to Washington Wizards) and Kyle Filipowski (#32 to Utah Jazz).

The 2025 NBA Draft class saw four GymRat alums chosen in the top 15 picks led by former GymRat CHALLENGE MVP Cooper Flagg of Maine United. Flagg was the 2024 Gatorade National High School Basketball Player of the Year at Montverde Acadmey (FL) before attending Duke & being named the 2025 NCAA National Player of the Year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. The Maine native was selected as the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Former ALL-GymRat performer Dylan Harper (NY RENS/Rutgers) immediately followed Flagg as the #2 overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs. All-GymRat selection Derik Queen of Team Thrill (Baltimore, MD) was selected #13 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. A 2024 McDonald’s All-American, Queen was named 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year while starring for the University of Maryland & emerging as a Lottery Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.  6’10” All-GymRat selection Thomas Sorber of Team Final (Philadelphia, PA) rounded out the GymRat alums that made the 2025 NBA Draft class The Trenton, NJ native whose family hails from Liberia was an All-Big East selection at Georgetown before being selected in the first round (#15 overall) of the 2025 NBA Draft by the World Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Both Flagg and Filipowski started their GymRat appearances in the 7^th grade and returned annually to showcase their development through the end of their high school eligibility.

In addition to national media members, scouting services, hundreds of college coaches in attendance and tuning into the broadcast, the GymRat Evaluation Team is on site throughout the event weekend compiling notes. The legendary GymRat Evaluation Staff is comprised of expert current and former professional, college, and high school coaches, professional players, and media members. The unique GymRat experience provides PROVEN services and benefits that go well beyond the dates of the competition. To properly evaluate during the event, the GymRat Evaluation Staff is assigned in a matrix. ALL teams at ALL Age Divisions of the GymRat CHALLENGE are viewed at least twice by at least two different GymRat evaluators in order to ensure that no player is judged on a single performance or on the opinion of a single GymRat evaluator. At the conclusion of the event, all evaluator notes are compiled into the GymRat REPORT….the most extensive report provided by any basketball event in the nation. This comprehensive 60+ page report highlights ALL-GymRat performers and provides detailed written evaluations for HUNDREDS of players that are directly available to every college coach throughout the nation, as well as all GymRat participants through their GymRat RECRUITING Index accounts.

All programs receiving an invitation to compete at GymRat LIVE also become members of the highly exclusive GymRat COLLECTIVE. The GymRat COLLECTIVE is FAR more than a “circuit”….it’s a MOVEMENT that offers real value-added benefits to its member programs. GymRat COLLECTIVE teams have the ability to not only compete against the best talent on the continent at two of the most respected events in the history of grassroots basketball in GymRat LIVE and the GymRat CHALLENGE, but also to benefit from revenue sharing opportunities to earn important fundraising dollars for their programs.

GymRat LIVE & the GymRat COLLECTIVE ARE UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAS EVER TAKEN PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF GRASSROOTS BASKETBALL. If you’re part of the GymRat COLLECTIVE, you don’t just PLAY, you EARN. NOBODY does it like GymRat.