Continuing to improve as he acclimates to point guard position, Presingular leads Griffins vs. Alberta
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
24 | 16 | 24 | 16 | 80 |
|
|
15 | 22 | 13 | 19 | 69 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Alberta | MacEwan University |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-68) | (24-68) |
| Field Goal % | 39.7% | 35.3% |
| Rebounds | 44 | 31 |
| Assists | 15 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 22 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 9 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 23 | 18 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 26 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 7 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 19 | 19 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Being of Filipino heritage, Diego Presingular has a goal to one day play professional basketball in the Philippines.
Knowing this and what the Griffins men's basketball team needed this season, new head coach David Kapinga transitioned him to point guard.
"I think one of the big things was last year he played a little bit more of the shooting guard position," said Kapinga. "With me taking this job, I mentioned to him I want to make him more of a point guard, more of a leader. I said 'this is not just something for MacEwan, it's something that will help you in your future when you go play pro.'
"A 5-8 shooting guard, you don't hear of them too often, even in the Philippines."
Playing far bigger than his size, Presingular has been a giant for the Griffins since entering the program in 2024. Last season, after scoring the second most points of any first year in U SPORTS, he became the first MacEwan men's basketball player named to the Canada West All-Rookie team and won the Griffins' Male Rookie of the Year award.
In 2025-26, he's now becoming a more complete player and leader running the point regularly. Even still, the Winnipeg native is second on the Griffins in scoring, averaging 11.3 points/game.
"To be honest, I'm proud of myself because a month ago, two months ago, I was not able to do the things I'm seeing and doing now," said Preginsular. "The vision's better, I think I'm more patient. I'm doing a lot of the stuff a true point guard should be doing.
"Especially at my size, I can't always rely on my scoring abilities. Just being unselfish, I'm proud of myself and (David's) proud, too, for what I've been able to do these past couple months."
Presingular will lead the Griffins into home action vs. Alberta on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (5 p.m., both David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV).
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"I think it's taken him a little bit of time to get comfortable in this new role because it's something he's never done before," said Kapinga. "But we had a meeting (Tuesday) when we did skills and film, and he mentioned he's getting more and more comfortable. I can also see that on the court. He's getting more comfortable leading the team, figuring out who needs the ball, when they need the ball, what play we should run and what time, so I'm really proud of him for that."
Just some silky moves by Diego Presingular as he drops in a late first-quarter bucket!#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/N3ZZ1q1z8H
— MacEwan Griffins Men's Basketball Team (@Griffins_MBB) November 1, 2025
Kapinga said what's stood out the most about Presingular this season is his defensive play.
"We always talk about 'how do we keep offence in neutral and not an advantage – all the screens and plays that are trying to create advantages.' He's never part of the scheme to create an advantage for the other team because he blows everything up.
"He goes through a screen without getting touched … and he can create havoc in the full court defending the other point guard. So, I've been really, really impressed with his defence."
But there is plenty of room to grow. Presingular, himself, believes there is a lot more improvement to come from him, and in the way the Griffins, as a team overall, move the ball.
"I think we can still do a better job moving the ball," he said. "I think it sticks here and there and there might be some over-dribbling. Taking care of the ball, too, because we have had turnovers and that's kind of been our struggle so far. That's what we've been working on in practice and the coaching – making passes more on target, on time, the spacing and whatnot.
"We can definitely take care of the ball better and move the ball better. I think we will do a better job this weekend."
What a start!
— MacEwan Griffins Men's Basketball Team (@Griffins_MBB) November 1, 2025
Diego Presingular drops one from long range to put @MacEwanGriffins up 10-0 early in the first quarter vs. @USPORTS_Bball No. 5 @WesmenMBB.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/Hs2MqLXHMP
Leading the Griffins in playing time, averaging 28.3 minutes/game, it's hard to believe Presingular is only in his second year of eligibility. Still ascending, his potential is bright.
"It's really high," said Kapinga. "I had to remind myself that he was just 19. He's grasping a lot of new information this year with us and doing a lot of good with that information, so I'm really excited to see how far he can take that.
"When you have a kid who listens, who's self aware, intelligent and puts in the work, that's a mixture that creates something pretty special with time."
