Experience Academy, A Nine Month Climb into College Ball
Formed in 2016, Experience Academy (EA) is a post-graduate basketball program located in Johnson City, Tennessee, right across the street from East Tennessee State University. It offers student-athletes a college-like environment with access to significant training facilities, including workout spaces and basketball courts, for athletic, academic, and personal development as future college players. Since it's inception, EA has successfully placed over 120 participants into college basketball.
The program provides elite basketball training coupled with one of the most rigorous schedules in the post-grad/prep world. The program is a nine-month basketball immersion program, beginning in mid-August. The first two months of the program is rigorous training, conditioning, and workouts from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. The game season starts in late October which includes traveling across the USA, playing elite competition and staying in hotels or Airbnb. The last games of the season will be played in March, allowing players to be build their bodies and focus on recruiting after that. When our program begins in mid-August, the first two months of the program is rigorous training, conditioning, and workouts from early in the morning to late in the afternoon (typically 6:00am to 5pm). When the game season starts in late October. they travel across the US playing elite competition and staying in hotels or Airbnbs.
During the season, the team will play 42-48 games. The team's 2025-26 game schedule and results can be found by clicking here. As you can see the team plays a rigorous schedule against other nationally ranked academies, D1 junior colleges and JV teams from D2, D3, or NAIA Universities.
The team is head coached by the founder, Patrick Grayson, and he is assisted by Eric Cross. Coach Grayson brings extensive playing and coaching experience to the program. As a player, Grayson competed in the 2006 Los Angeles Summer Pro League, the Kentucky Summer Pro League, the ESL, and the NBA Development League (now the G-League). He also tried out for the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League in back-to-back seasons, earning mini-camp invitations before being released prior to the start of the season. In 2008, he again competed in the Kentucky Summer Pro-Am. Grayson was often compared to Jason Williams for his flashy point-guard flair, court vision, and feel for the game. As a coach, Grayson served as a volunteer assistant coach at King University, where he was part of an NCAA Division II Conference Championship team in 2016 under head coach George Pitts. Known for his basketball IQ and creative style of play,
The 2025–2026 Experience Academy roster features a diverse, high-level group of guards, wings, and forwards from across the United States and internationally.
#0 Marshall Brooks (2026) 6'4 guard - From Aurora, IL, Brooks is a high-energy player who defends, rebounds, shoots, and plays team-first basketball.
#1 Chase Romberger (2026) 6'9 forward/center - From Pennsylvania, Romberger can shoot, run the floor and defend.
#2 Shane Birgumi (2026) 5'10 explosive guard - From Uganda; Birgumi is a tough defender who can also score.
#3 Preston Jones (2026) 5'10 point guard - From Orlando, FL, Jones is a strong defender. He is explosive and pushes the pace.
#4 Carter Lampkee (2026) 6'3 guard - From Buffalo, NY, Lampkee can score at will, from anywhere on the floor.
#5 Anh Nguyen (2026) 5'10 guard From Vietnam, Nguyen is a capable shooter and defender.
#10 Caden Ross (2026) 6'2 guard - From Pasco, WA, Ross has a fierce hustle mentality. He defends, shoots and passes.
#11 Jesse Ombega (2026) 6'2 point guard - From Australia, Ombega is the team's defensive anchor. He can pass, score, and shoot the three. His game is extremely well-rounded.
#12 Mach Mach (2026) 6'6 shooting guard - From Atlanta, GA, Mach scores, passes and blocks shots.
#13 AJ Dixon (2026) 6'3 guard - From Richmond, KY, Dixon is the team captain; an athletic scorer, a strong rebounder and defender He is averaging nearly 20 points and nine rebounds per game.
#14 Jonah Brandon (2026) 6'3 combo guard - From Dallas, TX, Brandon is the only returning player from the 2024-25 roster. He is currently averaging 20+ points per game.
#15 Prince Megbo (2026) 6'3 guard - From the United Kingdom, Megbo is an explosive athlete and elite defender. Coach Grayson says he is the most athletic player to come through Experience Academy in its 10-year history.
#21 Carter Crumity (2026) 6'3 guard - From Bristol, VA, Crumity is a shooter with an old-school style of play. He is known as the team’s “OG.”
#25 Judah Hidalgo (2026) 6'5 point guard - Hidalgo is currently averaging over 22 points per game. His sister, Hannah, is an All-American at Notre Dame.
#24 Carter Kerby (2026) 6'1 point guard - From Frankfort, MI, Kerby is a strong scorer and passer who also excels at pushing the ball.
#30 Colby Cash (2026) 6'0 guard - From Jonesboro, TN, Cash is a shooter and a defender who brings instant energy off the bench.
#32 Ashton Foreman (2026) 6'1 guard - From Louisville, KY, Foreman is shooter and a defender, who is often the glue that holds the team together.
#55 Carter Rupp (2026) 5'11 guard - From Coeur d’Alene, ID, Rupp is a lights-out shooter with elite consistency. He is often compared by coaches to Stephen Curry.