By News and Internal Communications

By Matthew Cavazos

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 10, 2023 – It was early in the 2007-08 college basketball season. Starting point guard Paul Stoll went up for a routine rebound – and came down limping. Then a student-athlete at UTRGV legacy institution UT-Pan American, he found his perseverance seriously tested that senior year.  

But pushing through the challenge paid off for Stoll. Today, he’s a captain preparing to lead the Mexican national team into the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. 

(UTRGV Archive Photo)

The tournament that runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. This is Stoll’s second appearance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, as Team Mexico qualified in 2014.  

He is 37 years old now, living back home in Michigan and no longer a student-athlete, but the lessons from his UTPA days have served him well as he reflects on his experiences on and off the court. The biggest lesson, he says, was how best to handle adversity.  

“You must be flexible and be able to adjust,” he said. “Your team is geared one way and then someone gets hurt and your role has completely changed.”  

During his senior season, Stoll helped lead UTPA to an 18-13 record, averaging 14.1 points per game. And he ranks eighth in career assists and steals in program history.

He speaks glowingly about his time at UTPA as it gave him a platform to show he was capable of playing professional basketball.  

“My time at UTPA was instrumental,” Stoll said. “That's why, to this day, I love Coach Tom Schuberth. He took a chance on a kid that nobody wanted. I just never wanted to let him down.”   

Stoll has earned four medals during his time with Team Mexico, including a silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, a gold medal at the 2013 FIBA AmeriCup, a gold medal at the 2014 Centrobasket, and a silver medal at the 2016 Centrobasket.    

His coaches named him team captain in 2021.  

“The Team Mexico coaches believed in me and showed their appreciation for me,” Stoll said. “I have always tried to lead by example by working hard, and I guess they see that.”    

During his time representing Team Mexico, Stoll has also played 12 years of professional basketball in Israel, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, Spain and France, winning three league championships – one in Israel and two in Mexico. He also has been selected to two all-star games.   

(Courtesy Photo)

Stoll won two Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional championships with Fuerza Regia de Monterrey, championships that, combined with his national team experience, will ensure a long-lasting legacy for basketball in Mexico.   

Stoll and Team Mexico will compete in the group stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila, Philippines. Mexico is grouped with Montenegro, Lithuania and Egypt. The top two teams from each group advance to the second round.  

The 16 teams advancing to the second round will be put into four new groups. The top two teams of each group will advance to the quarterfinals.  

The remaining eight teams play single-elimination games until the champion is determined.  

As Stoll again heads to international competition, he gives insight into the mindset and philosophy of this team. 

“We are going to play aggressively and shoot threes,” he said. “We’re not going to back down or be scared of anybody.”