PBA: Fil-Am guard Pringle applies for draft, GlobalPort set to make him top pick

Stanley Pringle, a highly touted Fil-American playmaker who has played in the Asean Basketball League the past two seasons, has formally filed his application for the 2014 PBA Draft at the league's office in Libis, Quezon City.

PBA technical assistant Jun Bengua confirmed that the six-foot Pringle has forwarded his application, complete with the required citizenship papers, for this year’s draft through a relative last week.

Once his application is approved, the former Indonesia Warriors star is expected to be the prize of the 2014 draft pool, unless Bobby Ray Parks suddenly decides to join the August 28 draft proceedings at Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila.

GlobalPort alternate board governor Erick Arejola previously declared that the team would select the Penn State product if he decided to join the draft.

The Batang Pier own the No. 1 pick for this year’s draft after beating Meralco in the draft lottery on Tuesday, just minutes before the start of game one of the 2014 PBA Governors Cup Finals between San Mig and Rain or Shine.

Former Indonesia Warriors coach and current San Miguel Beer active consultant Todd Purves had described Pringle, who led the team to a championship and a runner-up finish in the ABL the past two seasons, as a “good ball handler and unselfish player."

The sweet-shooting guard averaged 18.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds during his stint with the Warriors the past season. He also had stints in Belgium, Poland and Ukraine the past years.

Pringle’s father is Stanley Pringle, Sr., a retired US Navy veteran, while his mother is Elvira Andres Pringle, who was born and raised in Sta. Filomena, Abulug, Cagayan.

Because he turned 27 just last March, the Indonesia Warriors star no longer needs to play in at least two conferences of the PBA D-League, as required of every Fil-foreign draft applicant to be eligible for the draft.

Aside from Pringle, other top prospects in this year’s draft are Garvo Lanete, Kevin Alas, Ronald Pascual, Jake Pascual, Matt Ganuelas and Rome dela Rosa, all members of six-time D-League champions NLEX Road Warriors, as well as Fil-Italian blue-chip guard Chris Banchero. - Richard Dy, SPIN