Palpreet Brar- Raising their Game- UBA US Pro Performance Camp

“It’s a big opportunity for me. The American players here are on a different level. It’s really good to train here with so many good players.”- Palpreet Brar on training at the 3rd UBA US Pro Performance Camp.

Palpreet, along with 11 other UBA players from India and more from all over the world trained in the 3rd UBA US Pro Performance Camp with UBA Director of Coaching Jody Basye, UBA League Assistant Coach Jon Kimberlin and Keith Wilson, UBA Head Strength Coach at Ability 360 Sports and Fitness Center, Phoenix. UBA Director of Sport A.C. Green (3-time NBA Champion with the Lakers) also worked closely with the players, helping them raise their game.

The 23-year-old Palpreet made his UBA debut with the Bengaluru Beast in Season 4, and was one of the key reasons behind Bengaluru Beast’s inspiring mid-season revival and run to UBA finals. Attending the camp helped Palpreet build on his solid foundation as a basketball player and work on dialing his fitness level up another notch. The camp saw some of the top UBA players and others from around the world participate in an intense, two-week camp designed to maximize their skills as basketball players, increase their overall strength as an athlete and learn to train in ways which they can maintain when returning home.

Attending his first UBA US Pro Performance Camp, Palpreet showed why he is one of India’s most explosive young talents. As a youth, Palpreet had made his mark early in the 2012 FIBA Asia U-18 Championship, averaging 21.5 points per game (3rd) & 4 blocks (1st). His potential was further worked on during the camp as he along with around 40 top UBA players, old faces and newcomers alike, were put through the paces. The players spent the first week of the camp working on their basketball skills along with strength, conditioning and fitness training. After an intense week in which every ounce of effort was drawn from the players, they spent the next week competing in the Million Rupees Challenge.

This would not be Palpreet’s first visit to the USA. Palpreet had become the first Indian to have been drafted in the NBA G-League when he was selected by the Long Island Nets in the 2016 NBA G-League Draft. He had made it to the NBA G-League draft through the NBA ACG Jump Program, in which he was spotted by another 3-time NBA Champion with the Lakers, Brian Shaw. Green and Shaw were part of the Lakers team which won the 2000 NBA Championship.

From the age of six, Palpreet would sow seeds, cut grass and pull out weeds on his family’s farm, that played a part in helping him develop into a fit young man. While he is reaping the benefits of endless squats during his de-weeding days and training at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, he got an opportunity to take his fitness up another level in the camp. To think of Palpreet raising his fitness up higher is a daunting thought for his opponents.

He has one of the most voracious appetites for blocking shots of anyone in basketball, taking unrestrained delight in swatting attempts. In UBA Season 4, Palpreet was second in the league in blocked shots with 2.7 bpg, with his share of goaltends along the way. His strong play earned him a UBA All-Star selection as he averaged 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He also had one of the seasons’ most memorable plays with a 180-degree alley-oop dunk which raised the roof in Sathyabama University Stadium in Chennai.

Along with putting up crowd-pleasing highlights, Palpreet’s all-around play also helped the Beast make it to the playoffs and turn their season around. In Bengaluru Beast’s first three losses, Palpreet had single digit rebounds, for a total of 18 rebounds. In their next three wins, Palpreet grabbed 33 rebounds. He also picked up his scoring, having put up a combined 43 points in the first three losses, he then scored 78 points combined in their next three wins. While Bengaluru Beast was swept in the finals by Mumbai Challengers, they did rack up UBA’s longest win streak with 6 straight wins from the regular season to the postseason.

Look out for Palpreet in the upcoming UBA Season 5.

This article was originally published on www.UBAIndia.com.