The Wisconsin graduate and Big Ten champion is now playing professionally in Belgium.
By Peter Cameron, BADGER STRIPES
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Brevin Pritzl played his last season with UW in the 2019-2020 season, leaving school with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and a conference title. He’s been playing professionally in Europe ever since. Badger Stripes chatted with Pritzl about the transition to playing for a paycheck across the Atlantic.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});How’s it going this year?
I started the year in Germany but ended up moving back to Belgium this season as I wasn’t going to be playing this season in Germany because of too many foreigners [on the team]. EDITOR’S NOTE: Some European leagues have caps on how many foreign players can appear in a game.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});You’ve played in Serbia, Denmark, Belgium and Germany. What that’s been like for a kid from De Pere?
Playing abroad has been a dream. I never would have thought I would be able to continue to play basketball after college. I didn’t have the most illustrious college career. But it’s truly been a blessing to travel the world and experience different cultures.
Any funny or weird moments?
The funniest thing would probably be my rookie season (in Serbia), over half my team didn’t speak English at all, so most of the time we would just talk in two different languages and then nod our heads until we got to where we needed to.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Why did you want to play professionally overseas?
I chose to play professionally because my wife loves to travel and I’ve always wanted to! So it was a great opportunity that someone was willing to have me as a client and allow me to continue.
How is the European game different from the American college game?
The European game is a lot different in terms of constant physicality and the pace is oftentimes a bit slower where each possession is of the utmost importance where you really can’t afford to have a bad possession.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});How has your game and usage changed now that you’re playing professionally overseas?
My game has evolved into being more of a primary scorer. Every year as a pro I have either been the leading scorer or one of the leading scorers on my team. Obviously, I still specialize in shooting threes and free throws, but I’ve had to really develop my skills in order to be as efficient as possible.
Any plans for after your basketball career?
Following my career, I would like to still work with basketball whether it’s training kids on the court or working with kids and players in the weight room. Still remains to be seen, but each summer I have experience working to hopefully help me build some credibility
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Final thoughts?
Playing abroad isn’t for the faint of heart. You are alone for a long time without family, so you really need to dedicate yourself to the game. It no longer is just a game. It is a job and is vitally important because the teams care about the team first. If you aren’t performing, they will put someone out in front of you and cut you, if necessary.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4317615640364969 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});You really need to enjoy the process because it could all end in the blink of an eye.
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