Star on Parade Pierre Jallow Gambia’s pride in basketball

Pierre Jallow, is a promising Gambia basketballer currently making name for himself in the Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL).

The up-and-coming youngster recently won the player of the Week Award for the final fixture round of the Queensland Australian Basketball League in 2006. In the face of very tough competition in the Goal Coast Goannas, Jallow pounded the pavement to walk away with 36 points, 23 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. This massive effort caps off an exciting season for Jallow in his first year in the QABL against some Queensland, and Australians finest.

After having a successful stint in Finland, the Gambian forward moved back to Australia, where he once played for Townsville in the QABL. He changed teams this year and Pierre Jallow already contributed very well in the season opener, netting 29 points and pulling 11 rebounds for the Mackay Meteors, who eventually won against SWM Fileforce Pirates 117-105. The ambititious post player is no doubt having a strong season in Australia

Pierre Jallow, a native of Banjul, attended St. Augustine's High School in Banjul. He was part of the school and national volleyball team, before leaving for the United States, where he was more concerned about getting a good education than pursuing a career in hoops. The 6ft 8in Gambian only began playing the game by accident. As accomplished volleyball player, he represented the Gambia. Jallow was persuaded to switch sports after being spotted by his college basketball coaches. Before enrolling at Penn Valley Community College, in Missouri, Jallow had not played one organised game of basketball.

He was one time quoted as saying: "My two brothers were over there studying, I followed them just to get an education and a degree, the coaches at Penn Valley saw me play and they offered me a scholarship. I didn't really play basketball seriously. I used to go out in the evenings sometimes with my older brother and play some ball, but I just didn't have time for it. "Volleyball was my number one. I knew I was okay at basketball, but I was just better at volleyball at the time and, as most of my good friends were playing it, I had to stick with them."

After a year, Jallow transferred to William Jewell College, near Kansas City in Missouri, a renowned private Baptist school. One of its claims to fame was that Luciano Pavarotti made his international solo recital debut on the Jewell campus in 1973. Before going on stage, he was nervously sweating and asked for a handkerchief. Only a white dinner napkin could be found, he held it throughout the performance, and it became his trademark.

Jallow studied information systems, computers and business and began to make his mark in the gym. He left William Jewell rated as one of the best NAIA Division Two players.

His coach, Larry Holley, said Jallow was very raw initially, but could run and jump and block shots. "It was a great adjustment for me," says Jallow. "I was like a deer caught in the headlights at first."In volleyball the plays are quite simple. In basketball you've got, like, 15 to 20 plays for a guy like me who just wasn't used to having them run for him, and you were expected to master them straight away. "Initially, I was just playing basketball for fun - then I was playing it for real."

After failing to land a club in the summer -"things didn't work out with my agent" - Jallow returned home to The Gambia and was preparing to begin work in his specialist field.

The call from Bullets came to replace injured American Jamie Kendrick and Jallow was beginning to find his way in the unforgiving world of the professional ranks.

Pierre Jallow played college ball in the States before playing professionally in the UK. Currently at Australia, Jallow proves a great basketballer.