Pringle assured 1st overall draft pick

MANILA, Philippines - Highly-touted guard Stanley Pringle will be the first overall pick in the PBA draft at Robinson’s Manila on Aug. 24. Globalport team Governor Erick Arejola confirmed the choice the other day as the Batang Pier won the lottery for the top pick.

Although Pringle has never played in the PBA D-League, he will be allowed to enter the draft under the exception rule for Fil-foreigners who are 27 or over. Fil-foreigners under 27 must play at least two PBA D-League conferences to be eligible for the draft. The PBA has confirmed that Pringle has submitted the required Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice documents to certify his dual citizenship. The documents are requirements for Fil-foreigners to apply for the draft.

Pringle, 27, told The Star in an email from his home in Virginia Beach that he will definitely be in Manila next month for biometrics testing and the draft but couldn’t fix a date of arrival.

“I think the PBA is a great league and highly-respected,” said Pringle who played two years at Penn State before taking his sneakers to Belgium, Poland, Ukraine and Indonesia. “Everybody I know who’s played there had nothing but positive words to say about it. Gabe Norwood, the first person to let me know about the PBA back when he was in the PBL, and Justin Melton, a good friend of mine growing up, are both an admiration because I know how hard they work. Denzel Bowles and Vernon Macklin also had great things to say about the league.”

Pringle, a bachelor, traces his Filipino roots to Cagayan Valley. His Filipina mother is Elvira Ojano Andres and his father Stanley Sr. is a retired US Navy veteran. Pringle said he expects his relatives in Manila to come out and witness the draft.

“I can bring a little more experience (to the PBA) since this is not my first professional season,” he said. “You definitely learn a lot playing under different coaches and different leagues around the world. From those championships, I mostly remember being happy about all our hard work paying off as a team. I also remember the celebration afterwards and how happy everyone was.”

Pringle was coached by San Miguel Beer consultant Todd Purves when he averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists to lead the Indonesia Warriors to the ABL championship in 2012. In his final season at Penn State, Pringle was coached by Ed DeChellis as the Nittany Lions took the National Invitation Tournament crown. In four years with the Landstown High School varsity in Virginia Beach, Pringle scored 1,100 points. As a senior in 2006-07, he averaged 18.3 points and 6.1 assists as Landstown posted a 22-3 record.

The 6-1 guard is described as a bigger version of Jayson Castro. He’s an offensive threat as an outside shooter and a slasher with the ability to issue pinpoint passes. A leader on the floor, Pringle is expected to make an immediate impact as a PBA rookie.

The deadline for Fil-foreigners to apply for the draft was last July 8. The list of prospective Fil-foreign applicants was released to PBA teams for review last July 11. The contestability period for Fil-foreigners is July 14-Aug. 12. On Aug. 18, the applicants will go through biometrics and on Aug. 20, the final list of approved draft candidates will be issued by the PBA.

The draft order in the first round is as follows: Globalport, Rain Or Shine (from Meralco), Barako Bull, N-Lex, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra, San Mig Coffee (from San Miguel Beer/Petron via Barako Bull), Barako Bull (from Talk ‘N’ Text), Rain Or Shine, Barako Bull (from San Mig Coffee), Kia Motors and Blackwater Sports.