Pieter Prinsloo

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Tigers are locked in defensively

TURNING 31-years-old has given second year Cape Town Tigers captain Pieter Prinsloo a mature outlook on life.

Prinsloo, who celebrated his birthday in January, realises as he gets older, the window of opportunity to win is closing. Also, after many years playing overseas, the Tigers’ big man feels ready to settle in one place.

The former Marist Red Fox says being at the Tigers offers him an opportunity to become a family man and to build better bonds within basketball.

**Tigers captain Pieter Prinsloo does battle with Ngor Barnabar of the Oilers. Pictures: The BTO**

“I have enjoyed my career and the chance to see different parts of the world and to experience diverse cultures, but you get to a certain point where you are happy to be in a fixed location every year. When you play in a different country every season, it becomes hard to build permanent relationships,” said Prinsloo, speaking from Nicaragua earlier in the year. “Being based in South Africa allowed me to build relationships. I reconnected with guys like (Lebesa) Selepe, who I played with on the national team. Chris Gabriel is no longer at the Tigers, but we remain close friends. Also, Lebo (Mofokeng) and I lived together when we joined the team.

“It is also difficult because I have to travel to Nicaragua to see my son. But his mother and I have agreed that I bring him to South Africa to live with me for his education and other opportunities. So in the next six months, he will be coming, which is great for me as I can be a dad while still doing my job.”

Prinsloo described the difficulty of being a parent and a professional player at the same time.

“It’s hard man. It’s a hard thing to leave your kid behind for months at a time because it’s your career that is how you take care of them. Being a father has been one of the greatest experiences for myself and knowing the relationship I have with my father, I would want the same for my son.

“My dad did everything possible to make sure the family is taken care of. So it was my mom who attended at a lot of my sporting events because dad was making sure everything is good at home. When he had time he would come and support me. It’s concept I understand being in my profession, where had to be away from my son at certain months in the year. Now with my son coming, he’ll have chance grow up around basketball and a different culture. He will have a bunch uncles from the team, it’s something I see as a blessing.”

As Prinsloo strives to get his family matters in order, he also has to turn his attention to the business on the basketball court. The Tigers captain and his teammates are preparing for a second appearance at the Basketball Africa League (BAL), which tips off in Dakar, Senegal (11-21 March).

The BAL may be a month away, but while on holiday in Central America, the 6ft10 forward had reflect about the league and being at the winning end this year.

“I have been looking forward to what is coming and wondering if we will be in Dakar or Cairo. I think we understand the importance of the games this time around. We can’t afford to drop games,” said the former Universdade de Concepcion player. “The concentration needs to be different this year. That is what has preoccupied my mind. I would also like to add another championship to my rèsumè.

“I’m thirty-one, and the years I have left to play at this level are getting less. We did well last year and the results have shown. The team’s roster and chemistry have improved a great deal.”

Prinsloo has observed this year’s Tigers unit is adept defensively, and they will not solely rely on trying to beat their opponents at the attacking end like they tried to in their debut season at the BAL.

“I feel like we are a lot more locked in defensively. We understand that defence is a big thing and that we can’t always try to outscore teams. It is an important aspect of the game because there will be nights when things are off in offence,” said the big man. “That is why management made adjustments to the roster. Talent on paper is not the best thing for a team. At last year’s BAL we were considered a top team in terms of talent, especially looking at our starting five. But having the most talented team does not mean we will win.”

“Sometimes we need guys in certain positions to fulfil specific roles on the court and make the right plays. I understand everyone likes to score, but there is only one basketball. So we need guys that can fit into the system as well.”

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Since they arrived in South Africa, the Tigers, who qualified for this year’s tournament at the Road To BAL qualifiers held last year in Johannesburg, have made no secret about their desire to win the main event. Prinsloo, who already echoed a similar sentiment, says they have learnt lessons from their debut appearance. He also issued a warning statement to teams that will take this group of hungry Tigers lightly this year.

“I feel like if anybody underestimates us, they will be in for a bad night. We were in the quarter-finals despite our chemistry issues last year,” said Prinsloo. “We have players and a coach (Florsheim Ngwenya) who has done a super job with us. He has attention to detail, from how he prepares us for practice to his management in game situations.

“We made significant progress late last year, and in my opinion, I don’t see us outside of the championship game.”

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Tigers ready to earn their stripes in BAL qualifiers

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BAL a chance for players to become super stars

FOR Cape Town Tigers big man Pieter Prinsloo, South Africa is where his heart has always been. His allegiance and patriotism run deep, skin deep.

Embellished on the Tigers captain’s right arm are tattoos of the national flag and the big five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo), elements that celebrate his South African roots.

Prinsloo always held the ambition of representing South Africa through the Proteas cricket team, but his life took a different turn when he moved to the United States, where he picked up basketball. Despite living most of his life in the US and playing professionally in different parts of the world, Prinsloo never forgot the country of his birth.

“As a kid growing up here, I always thought I would play for the SA national cricket team. It did not work out that way because I left for the States. For me, this (South Africa) is my home. It’s where I am from, and I will never forget that,” said 29-year old Prinsloo. “Soon as I got out of the house and was allowed to do my own thing, the first thing I did was to get a tattoo of the South African flag.

“For me, that’s my heritage. I also have tattoos of the big five. The tattoos on my right arm are a celebration of my heritage. So wherever I am in the world, and people take note of the tattoos, I let them know this is my representation of home.”

Second Picture — **Cape Tigers get ready to receive the National Club Championship trophy. Pictures: The Big Tip Off**

Prinsloo knows all about representing South Africa at the highest level. He has donned the green and gold vest at the 2017 AfroBasket co-hosted by Senegal and Tunisia. Now he will have another opportunity to represent his country, but this time in the colours of the Tigers, who beat Jozi Nuggets 76-70 in September to become the new National Men’s club champions.

The Cape-based club will take on four Southern African teams in the Zone VI Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers from 19- 24 October in Johannesburg at the University of Johannesburg Campus in Soweto.

Pretoria-West born Prinsloo believes hosting the games and hopefully qualifying for the BAL presents an opportunity for Tigers to help raise basketball’s profile in the country and for players to make a name for themselves.

For us, it’s great! It’s an opportunity for guys to become superstars. Some of the guys realise that. When they walk in the street, they will be recognisable. It also means long-term security. It means guys can change their lives and futures,” said Prinsloo, who experienced his bit of the limelight. “I have experienced that playing in countries overseas, where somebody would say ‘hey Prinsloo can I get a picture.’ So, for me, it’s normal to be on a poster because something is going here or there.”

“For South Africa… it’s probably the richest and most talked about country in Africa, but in sport, we ain’t doing sh*t. Our rugby is up and down. Cricket has its scandals. Soccer has not been relevant in, who knows for how long? So we know by what we are doing, we can become a big-time face in this country.”

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Unfortunately for Tigers, they will not host the BAL qualifiers in their home city, and according to Prinsloo this is a missed opportunity for the club and its fans. He also felt the tournament organisers made it impossible for the Tigers to host the event.

“We would have loved to have the games here. We are the SA champs, and we are from Cape Town, but the organisers made it a complicated process in trying to host it here. They had a lot of requirements that we felt were excessive, but they have their rules, so we left it at that,” said Prinsloo. “We would have preferred to have it in Cape Town. Our fanbase is here. It also could have helped us with our branding, marketing of the game, and we could grow our support even more.

“We do have a fanbase in Johannesburg because of the growth of the game, and people see the work we have done.”

The issue of where games should held, has not been a distraction for the Tigers players, as they have continued preparing for the BAL qualifying tournament. They have also added some quality players to help them reach their objective. The only stumbling block could be the lack of meaningful competition since being crowned national champions.

“Training wise, things have been going good. We have incorporated a couple more pieces. Jared (Harrington) is included again after missing out on the championships because of paperwork. We have also filled our African slot with Evans (Ganapamo) and Ben Uzoh, who played with us at the championships. Billy Preston from the States has also joined the team,” said Prinsloo, a former Marist Red Foxes player.

“We have not had many practice games, but in training, things are coming together. The talents we have brought in are starting to click with the rest of the team. There is good chemistry. Guys are starting to understand each other.

“It’s been hard to find competitive scrimmages. We get better runs going five-on-five in the team at training because of the size and skill. It’s been hard to find a similar kind of talent that we will face in Joburg.”

Third Picture — **Cape Tigers captain Pieter Prinsloo receives the medals from BSA secretary general Victor Bergman.**

The talent that lies in wait for the Tigers comes in the form of Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique), Matero Magic (Zambia), Mercenaries (Zimbabwe) and Roche Bois Warriors (Mauritius).

Prinsloo is familiar with Beira, having had a stint with the club. He also provided some insight into what the Mercenaries and Matero will bring to the table.

“Beira is a team that likes to press. They play at a fast tempo. So teams that press don’t handle it very well because they don’t want that pressure. I know some of the guys from Zim. They might have some guys who play here and there in SA. The Zambians play with a quicker small team,” said the former Universidad de Concepcion player.

“I don’t see it causing complications for us. We have a balanced team; we can go big or small at any time. There is size and skill in every position. A guy like me can play small forward, power forward and centre. We have a team that can go quicker or slower. We don’t want to play the opposition’s game. We want to play our game.”

While the qualifying process is still a long one, Prinsloo who has won championships in El Salvador and Nigeria feels that winning the BAL would add another feather on the cap.

“For me, on top of what I have accomplished in my career… I have played in champions league in South America and competed against some the best players in the world. So, winning BAL would add another championship to my resume. To bring that trophy back home and to Cape Town, that would be crazy. It would be an honour,” concluded Prinsloo.

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Switching to hoops put Prinsloo on the big stage

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“But people saw my height and said I should hoop”

BEFORE Pieter Prinsloo took up basketball, his journey towards settling on the sport took a few turns.

Being born into an Afrikaans family in Pretoria West, it was natural that Prinsloo leaned towards rugby and cricket. When he moved to the United States, where his father Daniel had emigrated, Prinsloo experimented with sports which were similar to rugby and cricket. He gravitated towards baseball and gridiron.

“My father took us to the United States in 2004. There was a job opportunity for him that side. Naturally, because I played cricket and rugby in South Africa, I tried baseball and American football. I didn’t really like baseball, so I stuck with football. But people saw my height and said I should hoop,” said the 29-year-old.

To Prinsloo, basketball was just a casual sport, which he played with his friends. The turning point came when Prinsloo was transitioning to his second year of high school. Both gridiron and basketball had their specific weight demands. And the requirements of basketball, in Prinsloo’s view, were more palatable.

“I started playing basketball when I was thirteen, but I never took it seriously. I was always playing outside in the driveway with my friends. In the first year of high school, the ninth grade, I played football and then basketball. The summer before my second year of high school, football coaches wanted me to put on 20 kilos. The basketball coaches wanted me to lose 20 kilos. I was a chubby kid going into high school. So at the point, I decided to go with basketball,” said the centre who was a pupil at Dover High School in the US.

Prinsloo attributes his evolution as a basketball player to two key influences: his personal and professional trainer Terrell Myers, whom he holds in high regard, and his high school coach Stephen Wilson.

“When I turned sixteen, I started taking basketball seriously. I worked out with my professional trainer and life-time mentor. Between him and my high school coach, they taught me everything I know about basketball,” said Prinsloo, who played four years of college basketball at Marist Red Foxes. “Within a year, I changed from being just a tall player on the court to being called by division one schools, coaches coming to see me play, and teams offering me scholarships. It changed quickly.”

Prinsloo, who plays professionally in Chile for Universidad de Concepción, believes he is playing his best basketball. The centre says the prophesying of Myers over his career has come to fruition.

“When I was about seventeen or eighteen, he told me, I would blow up when I turned twenty-five or twenty-six. Now that I am at this point in my career, I see how I have changed. I am playing in the Champions League, one of the toughest tournaments there is,” said Prinsloo, who had a double-double in a 78-76 win against Brazil’s São Paulo two weeks ago.

The South African’s performance of 24 points, ten rebounds helped Concepción clinch their first victory in Group B of the Basketball Champions League Americas, which includes Argentina’s Asociación Atlética Quimsa. With one win in the bag, Prinsloo is now looking to help Concepción push for a quarter-final spot.

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“It was a great feeling. I came in for the second bubble. I knew Concepción played against São Paulo and had a bad performance. They lost big. In my first game here, we should have beaten the Argentinean team. It was a game we gave away. We had the ball with three seconds left. From a side in-bound, they stole the ball and went for a lay-up.” said Prinsloo, whose team resume their campaign on March 27. “When we played São Paulo again, we realised it was our last lifeline. We won. Now we have to go to Brazil and win two games to make it to the quarter-finals.

“It is a great feeling to play on this stage. You are playing against the best clubs in South and Central America. These are the best of the best. For me, it was a great feeling. I even got the player of the game in a game we needed to win. It’s also a step in showing what I am capable of.”

Prinsloo’s capabilities on the continental stage for South Africa catapulted him to his current status. He credits playing in the 2017 AfroBasket co-hosted by Tunisia and Senegal as the launchpad for his overseas playing career. So, when South Africa missed out on the qualifiers for this year’s continental showpiece, it saddened him.

While he understands that long-term administration issues are plaguing the game, he hopes South Africa will return to the continental stage.

“I would love to see our national team get back. I know there have been issues with the federation. I have my personal opinions. But I have learnt when it comes to politics, I should keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot,” said Prinsloo.

But he could not hold back his concern, as he felt talented players are losing out on an opportunity to showcase their talents.

It’s sad. It bothers me. We had an opportunity to go to the World Cup qualifiers in 2017. We didn’t go. We missed out on the AfroBasket qualifiers because there’s no SA basketball. It sucks because there are talented players in SA. Afrobasket gives them that opportunity to put that on display,” said Prinsloo. “Afrobasket changed my career in a big way. I was stuck playing in smaller markets until 2017. I had a pretty good tournament and after that got an opportunity to play in Spain. Now I am playing in the Champions League in South America.

“Playing for the national team was not only a great honour but also a push for my career.”

While South African basketball has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, hopefully, Prinsloo’s performances on the big stage can highlight the possibilities.

Switching to hoops put Prinsloo on the big stage Read More »

Prinsloo beginning to light up in the colours of REG

Prinsloo’s competitive flame is lit and ready to heat up in Chile

Prinsloo talks fatherhood and BAL desire

Tigers ready to earn their stripes in BAL qualifiers

Switching to hoops put Prinsloo on the big stage

“But people saw my height and said I should hoop”