JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Pranav Prince has always been after the growth of Indian basketball, and that is precisely the reason why he never takes for granted any opportunity concerning that big of a cause.
One of which was Tamil Nadu's stint in the FIBA WASL Final 8 2024, where the young star stayed optimistic even though their campaign wasn't the most ideal as he knew that it would only benefit the country.
"This is the beginning of something for Indian basketball," he was quoted as saying back then. "I think to be recognized in one of the biggest stages in Asia, I think it's a huge responsibility for us."
Those words proved poetic, somehow.
Months after the pan-regional tilt's culminating event, Team India have hit strides in the international hoops scene, the most significant of which was during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers' second window last November.
There, they handed Kazakhstan an 88-69 rout at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, beating the Steppen Wolves for the first time in eight years or since the now-defunct FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 in Tehran, Iran.
It was also the country's first win in the FIBA stage in three years, or since a 79-77 escape versus Palestine during the 2021 Asia Cup Qualifiers' Tournament for Third-Placed Teams back in August 22 in Saudi Arabia.
Prince starred against the Kazakhs with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals. The athletic combo guard also netted an efficiency of 32 following that all-around effort of his.
But more importantly, that victory kept their hopes of reaching the Asia Cup proper, which they eventually did albeit through a longer path as they needed to go through the Qualifying Tournament for Third-Placed Teams.
It was actually the second time that India had to play in the said phase and just like in the first, they made sure to get the job done, sweeping Bahrain and Iraq to make it back to the continental conclave.
There has been renewed hope within Indian basketball and a big part of that was the return of Scott Flemming at the helm back in March of last year, a figure who was responsible for their success during the 2010s.
He previously served as the men's team's chief mentor from 2012-15 and under him, the program chalked up major Ws - from beating China in the erstwhile Stankovic Cup to a Quarter-Final run in the 2015 Asia Cup.
"I'm just trying to put them in a position to win and they take over from here. We still have things to work on," said the American bench tactician on the heels of their 2025 Asia Cup qualification in Manama last March.
India have actually been regulars in FIBA's flagship event for men's national teams in the continent - they have been in all but four editions - but they aren't content just by being there. They want to compete.
And win, too. A quick check at the records show that the squad hasn't won a game in the Asia Cup since the 2015 contest in China, where they finished with three wins under their belt in the nine matches they played.
Can Prince, Flemming, and Team India flip the script this time?
India are drawn in Group C together with 16-time gold medalists China, hosts Saudi Arabia, and 2022 Semi-Finalists Jordan. To know more about their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 campaign, click here.
FIBA