Pieter Prinsloo backs homegrown talent as Giants eye BAL success

The 2026 BAL season is all set for tip off at the SunBet Arena today, where the Kalahari Conference will take centre stage from 27 March to 5 April, with the Joburg outfit making their competition debut after clinching qualification last year. 

Speaking at a media press conference in Pretoria ahead of the Season 6 tip-off, Prinsloo said the Giants are no longer reliant on imported players. 

"The big difference with this team itself is, not only is it all South African guys for the most part – you know we have one or two incorporations from the outside that aren't from here, but the chemistry is completely different," said the skipper.

"And I think that translates very well because every team in this league that's won the championship has had the proper base of homegrown talent, with the supplementary talent from outside.

"The Petros, the Monastirs, the Egyptian teams that have won, they have their good local players and they bring in outside guys to really just reinforce and add value to those small points that they're missing.

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"And I think we have that at this point; we have a team that plays tremendous defence – we're young, we run, and then we brought in a couple guys from the outside just to help certain aspects – We brought an American guy that's a very good scorer.

"So I think that dynamic with this team is completely different, and it really gives us an advantage because everybody's connected on a string, everybody's really bonded and we play together; it's not a bunch of individuals that are just stepping on the court.

"In the past, we had a team, maybe if you look at it on paper – it was Cape Town Tigers, you would have said, 'Hey, this team should win BAL' because of the talent listed individually.

"But a team isn't just individual talent, it's five guys actually playing together on the court, and 12 guys that come together for one bigger goal.

"So I think, with that, our team at the moment is much better structured and the relationship from being with coach [Florsheim Ngwenya] for so long – I'm understanding of the expectations he has for us and where I need to lead us on the court for us to be successful.

"So, at a minimum, we want to get out of Pretoria and head to Rwanda for the playoffs."