MANILA, Phillippines – Outside fast-rising superstar Terrence Romeo, GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio said he’s blessed to have an all-around combo guard in Stanley Pringle, who has played solidly in the Batang Pier’s first two games this season.
After firing 20 points in the team’s 86-97 defeat to defending champion San Miguel Beer, the six-foot guard out of Penn State came up big on Friday as GlobalPort upstaged the Star Hotshots, 101-94 for the Batang Pier’s first victory in the PBA’s 41st season.
The 28-year-old Pringle, last year’s top rookie pick was an absolute beast in the second half, scoring almost at will while facilitating the team’s offense to complete the team’s victory against Star.
Pringle’s stats line against the Hotshots says it all—23 points on 9-of-15 field goal shooting, five assists, four rebounds and one steal on the way to earning the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period of Oct. 26-Oct. 31 to beating NLEX forward Sean Anthony and Alaska’s Vic Manuel for the citation.
“Mga one month lang siya nakapag-ensayo sa amin nung off-season kasi nagpagaling pa siya sa injury niya, pero nung naka-recover na siya, mas lumakas siya at naka-focus siya this season dahil gusto nga niya makatulong sa team,” Jarencio told Philstar.com on Monday.
Jarencio explained that the cat-quick Pringle was slowed down by an ankle injury during the Governors' Cup last season.
But after undergoing therapy and strengthening, the bearded GlobalPort Fil-American guard regained his explosiveness to open his sophomore season with a bang.
Jarencio also mentioned that Pringle embraces the team-first philosophy he is espousing, quashing rumors that the Fil-Am guard can’t co-exist with fast-rising superstar Terrence Romeo.
“All-out si Stanley at wala naman silang (Pringle and Romeo) sapawan,” stressed the GlobalPort coach.
“Lagi ko ngang nire-remind sa team to just play as one unit dahil kapag nanalo tayo dito, sama-sama tayo, at kapag natalo tayo, sama-sama din tayo.”
GlobalPort, currently at 1-1, shoots for its second straight win when it tangles with Barako Bull on Sunday.