In breaking news on Friday morning, former Bella Vista Prep Head Coach Kyle Weaver announced that he would be leaving Grind Session National Champion Bella Vista Prep to build the new Dream City Christian basketball program - taking over the former Joy Christian basketball program, and developing a new prep basketball program in the Northwest valley.
After helping build the historic Hillcrest Prep basketball program, and then moving on to build and develop the Bella Vista Prep program, local valley basketball aficionado Kyle Weaver has now decided to build his third national prep basketball program, Dream City Christian Prep. Weaver made the decision to leave Bella Vista Prep and begin the new prep program after the opportunity came to develop the program through his current church home.
"The opportunity to go back there and do something special in basketball for my church home where I got my foundation is amazing," said Weaver. "We will have an opportunity to develop another great program that will focus on athletics and academics, and with a foundation in Christianity."
Weaver has been a pioneer for Arizona basketball over the past decade, and has done an tremendous job of raising the basketball culture in the state of Arizona. Through he and his brother Nick Weaver's commitment to developing basketball programs in the state, and also bringing top-rated elite national level talent to the state, the overall college recruitment in the state of Arizona has gone to a completely another level.
While at Hillcrest Prep Academy, Weaver and his brother Nick Weaver and close friend Matt Allen developed a Grind Session National Championship program, while producing #1 NBA draft pick DeAndre Ayton. The Weavers and Allen had worked together at Westwind Prep, the first elite prep program in Arizona's basketball history. Kyle Weaver then left the program to develop Bella Vista Prep, and in two full seasons, Weaver led the program to this past season's Chick Fil-A Grind Session National Championship.
Now Weaver will look to form another prep program, his third one, which will again improve and raise the basketball culture in the state once again. At Dream City Christian Prep, Weaver will look to bring loads of more division-I talent to the state from across the United States and internationally.
Weaver will be bringing with him Dion Phelps, who served as Bella Vista Prep's Director of Operations. Phelps is a former long-time division-I assistant coach and NAIA head coach. Phelps coached at such schools as the University of Oklahoma and helped to develop such NBA greats as Blake Griffin (Detroit Pistons).
Phelps is excited about another opportunity to raise the level of basketball in Arizona with Weaver.
"Im very excited to help Kyle continue to build a National Basketball Program and especially to do so on the campus of Dream City Christian," said Phelps. "It's an amazing place."
Weaver and Phelps will now turn their focus on acquiring players to the new prep program, which will begin competing next fall. The new program will look to begin making announcements on new players to the program very soon, so stay tuned.
