Pringle arriving tonight

After two forgettable PBA seasons, Globalport is ready to take the big leap forward this coming season with consensus first overall draft pick Stanley Pringle leading the charge. Pringle, 27, is expected to be tapped by Globalport in the rookie draft at the Robinsons Manila on Aug. 24. He’s arriving from Norfolk, Virginia, on a Delta flight tonight.

Team owner Mikee Romero said the other day it’s time to move up. “We paid our tuition fee in our first two years in the PBA,” he said. “When we joined the PBA, we didn’t really know how difficult it would be to win on a consistent basis. We’ve won championships in the PBL and ABL but it’s a different world in the PBA. The disparity is glaring in terms of quality of play, the ability of players, game preparations. For two years, we paid our dues. Now, we’re ready to contend. We’ve built up our team to surround Stanley with shooters. In the PBA like in any other league, it’s a case of trial and error. We’ve gone out to pick players whom we think will click in our run-and-gun system, guys with the same mindset. We’ve had to sacrifice some players to become a younger team. We want players who won’t give up, who’ll run, who’ll make us an exciting and explosive team.”

Pringle initially asked for a salary equivalent to an import’s rate in the ABL where he played with the Indonesia Warriors. “We talked to Stanley and explained what our rules are,” said Romero. “We’re in the process of finalizing our contract. We’re excited to welcome him to Globalport. He’s a franchise-changer and a mature player. I remember when our team the Philippine Patriots played Indonesia in the ABL, we put our import Anthony Johnson on Stanley. It didn’t matter. Stanley ran rings around Johnson and was just unstoppable.”

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Romero said even with Pringle’s arrival, Alex Cabagnot remains Globalport’s leader on the floor. “Alex is our starting point guard,” continued Romero. “Stanley will play both one and two guard. Our projected starting lineup is composed of Alex, Jay Washington, Ronjay Buenafe, Keith Jensen and Yancy de Ocampo. Our second unit will be made up of Stanley, Terrence Romeo, Mark Macapagal, Kelly Nabong and Mark Isip. We also have Carlo Sharma and Jewel Ponferada. We’ll probably bring in two more rookies from the draft. Our problem the last two seasons was we couldn’t sustain our continuity with our second unit. We had no bench. After our starters, we had little to show. Now, we’ve got a deep bench.”

While Romero’s dream is to turn Globalport into a championship contender, he said his immediate goal is only to make the team competitive. “Of course, we want to be a Final Four team,” he said. “While we know Pringle’s ability, he still has to prove himself in the PBA against our best guards like Paul Lee, L. A. Tenorio, Jayson Castro and Jimmy Alapag. He has to level up and show what he can do.”

Romero said trading away R. R. Garcia, Jondan Salvador and Eric Menk was not an easy decision. “We wanted to bring in more shooters and guys who won’t slow us down,” he said. “We’ve waited for this chance to build a team around Stanley. Now, we’ve got the right mix to make things happen.”

Menk was recently traded to Alaska for two of the Aces’ three picks in the second round of this year’s draft. Alaska will keep the No. 13 pick but dealt its No. 17 and No. 19 slots to Globalport. Alaska also has the No. 5 overall choice.

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As for coach Pido Jarencio, Romero said he’s confident the UST legend can get the job done. “Pido knows the game and we think he’s capable,” he said. “To complement his style, we brought in Eric Gonzales from FEU. Eric used to be with us when Richie (Ticzon) was our coach. He’s a good Xs and Os guy, very scientific and knowledgeable. We think he’ll work well with Pido and the rest of the staff.”

Romero isn’t used to losing. In the PBL, his team Harbour Centre strung up seven championships. And in the ABL’s inaugural season in 2010, Romero’s Patriots won the title. He’s also a world-class shooter and polo player. As a sportsman, Romero has been involved in the national cycling and shooting associations. But the last two seasons with Globalport were nightmarish. Two seasons back, Globalport posted a lowly 7-31 record and last season, it was 7-26. The Batang Pier registered identical 1-8 records in the last two conferences. The “enrollment” period was two years. Now, Globalport is ready to rumble.

In the UAAP, Romero said he’s all green for La Salle, his alma mater. “I’m cheering for coach Juno (Sauler),” he said. “We’ve known each other since grade school at Zobel. When we played for Zobel, Juno was captain and I was co-captain. We’re barkada. He’s my best friend. Every chance I get to watch a La Salle game, I’ll go and cheer for Juno and the Archers.”