The Indonesia Warriors will not stand in the way if their prized Fil-American guard, Stanley Pringle, is tapped by the Philippine national team.
Head coach Todd Purves said the Warriors have the former Penn State guard locked up in a long-term contract for the next two ABL seasons, meaning he cannot play in the Philippine leagues without a buyout.
But Purves said the ABL team is willing to lend Pringle, who has attracted attention with his stellar play in the regional league, in the event the PH national team comes calling.
“We’ll have Stanley until the 2014 season exclusively,” said Purves during Friday’s ABL finals press conference at the San Miguel head office in Mandaluyong City. “But if there is an opportunity for him to represent the Philippines, we are more than happy to help.”
Gilas II head coach Chot Reyes, in a tweet earlier this month, said Pringle had already expressed willingness to play for the national team.
Former Smart Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman, now a consultant at San Miguel, said he already had an eye on Pringle when he formed the nucleus of the national pool.
The 6-1 Pringle, whose mother is a Filipina from Cagayan, is one of the vital cogs of the Warriors, averaging close to 18 points in seven games during the regular season.
Pringle had a career average of 10.1 points and was one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the Big Ten during his time with the Nittany Lions. He also won a preseason slam dunk contest, thanks to a 37-inch vertical leap.
Pringle later played professional basketball in Belguim.
“It will be interesting to see how he has developed playing in Europe because it’s not easy for a Fil-Am to play in Europe,” said Toroman.
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