Ratliffe: Stop Clarkson and Pringle
JAKARTA — South Korean naturalized player and former PBA import Ricardo Ratliffe believes he has the Philippines all figured out.
Putting the cuffs on Jordan Clarkson and Staley Pringle would be the key when South Korea faces the Philippines in the Asian Games basketball semifinals, Ratliffe said following his team’s one-sided 117-77 win over Thailand Wednesday night.
“Slow down Jordan Clarkson and also Stanley Pringle, keep him out of the paint because he (Pringle) is super fast and he is under-rated in Asian (basketball) and that’s our main thing,” said Ratliffe, who also saw action in the PBA before finally deciding to settle down in Korea and become a naturalized player.
The Philippine team, the 29-yearold Ratliffe points out, “is guard-ori- ented with a good base” and keeping Clarkson and Pringle on a tight leash will prevent the Philippines from upsetting the defending champion.
As to facing his Missouri schoolmate Clarkson next week, Ratliffe, who stands 6-8 and plays center, is “looking forward” to the clash that he envisions would be a “fun and exciting game.”
Against the overmatched Thais, Ratcliffe poured in a team-high 21 points and six rebounds in just 20 minutes of play.
The Koreans were scorching hot from downtown, sinking 15 of 32 attempts for a 47 percent clip.
Two homegrown Koreans – Jeon Junbeom and Kang Sangjae – had 20 each in the game ripped apart as early as the second quarter when the Thais stared at a 62-36 bubble.
Clarkson made a rousing Asian Games debut Tuesday by dumping a game-high 28 points in the Philippines’ heartbreaking 82-80 loss to China.
Ratliffe was in attendance to see how Clarkson, who attended Missouri just as Ratliffe was leaving in 2013, would look against the stratospheric Chinese squad and was impressed.
Given that the 6-5 Clarkson, a major player in the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation had not played the Asian brand of play, Ratliffe thought his fellow Missouri alum did exceptionally well.
Clarkson is expected to be instrumental against Korea, a team that the Philippines considers as a thorn ever since their rivalry began in the 1960s.
But Ratliffe believes he can count on his teammates should the Philippines succeed in bringing them to deep waters. “I also have a lot of faith on my team,” said Ratliffe, who insists that he can’t wait to face some exteammates as he looks forward to rekindling his friendship with the likes of Clarkson, Pringle and James Yap.
After the customary pre-game handshake and friendly tap at centercourt, Ratliffe will go about his usual business and he expects the same thing from the Philippines.