NBA Academy's Pranav Prince ready to fly high after bagging scholarship in the US

KOCHI: There is a silver lining to the coronavirus crisis for Pranav Prince. It has helped him reconnect with his roots before embarking on a journey to realize his dreams. These days he trains four to five hours a day on the basketball court at his boyhood school St Joseph's in Thiruvananthapuram, the place where it all started for the 17-year-old.On this court, under the watchful eyes of his father Prince John and his coach Manoj Xavier, Pranav took baby steps into the world of basketball which first took him to the NBA Academy and now to a prestigious basketball scholarship in the US.
Pranav has signed up with the First Love Christian Academy in Washington, thus becoming the second male student from the NBA Academy India to get a high-school basketball scholarship in the US after Jagshaanbir Singh of Chandigarh. He is expected to leave for the US within the next two months. Last month, another Kerala player Ann Mary Zachariah, though not an academy product, had got a high-school scholarship from Kansas State Life Preparatory Academy.
"I would like to thank First Love Christian Academy for offering me this opportunity. I am also grateful to my family, all the members of the NBA Academy and all my coaches who have supported me through the journey," said Pranav, a 6'7'' point-guard.
Pranav is among the best of India's young basketball talents currently undergoing the residential programme at the NBA Academy in Noida. He joined the academy in 2018 as a part of its second batch and played in the NBA Academy Games in Australia and the US. He led the scoring and rebounding charts among the academy players in stage one of the Euro Youth Basketball League in Hungary last year. He was also one of the 23 prospects from 15 countries selected to participate in the Global Academy camp in Australia in November.
"Pranav has a lot of potential and his athletic skills combined with his size makes him one-of-a-kind. Since the time he joined the NBA Academy India, he kept improving his overall game and that reflected in his selection for the U-16 national team. The next logical step was to look for an avenue that can tap into his potential and prepare him for a possible entry into NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association in the US) system. The possibilities are endless if he continues to work as hard as he has till date. His next aim will obviously be to play in the NCAA," Marc Pulles, basketball operations team leader of NBA India, told TOI.
Pranav knows his strengths and shortcomings. "When I joined the academy, my jump wasn't the greatest. But now I have one of the best jumps. Also, I drive and assist well. What I need to improve is my shooting skills and I have been working on that," said the boy who will be looking to land university scholarships in the US after completing his school.