How David Craig stepped up when MBB needed him most

Immediately following MBB's loss to Al Ahli Tripoli in the opening game of the 2025 Nile Conference, head coach Sam Vincent defended his ten-man rotation.

Vincent insisted that he fielded the players he believed could help MBB win. "I play the guys that I think can get the job done," said the former NBA player.

Among the three players Vincent left on the bench was 7-foot-3 center David Craig, the tallest player in the BAL history.

Deep down, Vincent might have felt that his team couldn’t continue being mercilessly outrebounded and dominated in the paint, and that increasing his team’s rotation could benefit them.

Vincent gave Craig nine minutes off the bench in MBB’s 103-81 loss to APR.

Then, the American tactician reshuffled his starting lineup, and Craig made his first start of the season. This move saw MBB stun Nairobi City Thunder 75-74 in the final three seconds of the game.

MBB needed to maintain their momentum after their first win in three games. Taking on the hosts, APR, on gameday four was expected to be the toughest game of the season for the South African champions, but Craig's substantial size helped his team defeat the hosts 94-88.

MBB's second win in the league confirmed Craig's tremendous impact on the BAL debutant team, as he delivered his best performance in an MBB uniform.

In his second start, Craig shot 4-for-5, finishing with nine points. He also had 10 rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots, recording an efficiency rating of 21. This helped MBB improve to 2-2, boosting their chances of fighting for a place in next month’s BAL playoffs in Pretoria.

Immediately after the game, MBB power forward Pieter Prinsloo acknowledged Craig’s impact on the team.

Regarding Craig’s performance, Prinsloo said: “The big fella did a great job. He gave us some extremely valuable minutes.”

“He’s young, but he keeps improving, especially on nights like tonight when the game is more suited to him.”

Craig never seemed intimidated by APR’s Youssoupha Ndoye, one of the best centers in Africa today.

In fact, he came up with one of the conference's highlights when he rotated over Ndoye in the low post and finished with a two-handed dunk.

Prinsloo continued: “Against NCT, it was a quicker game with smaller bigs who move around more. But tonight, it was definitely a matchup where we could get him in the game and where he could be effective.”

In an interview with BAL.NBA.com, Craig, who last played for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, detailed his role on the team. He also explained how MBB overcame a 0–2 record to head into gameday five with a 2–2 record.

"We just feel confident. We know that we are battle-tested from having gone through adversity, and we trust each other, which will be useful in those crunch-time situations,” Craig said.

"We're moving in the right direction. I hope the people in South Africa are just as excited as we are.”

When asked about facing Ndoye, Craig replied: "That was a very physical matchup, but I thrive in these types of games. I knew it would be a big test for me and do a lot for my career. I really wanted to bring my A-game against him.”

Reflecting on his new role within MBB’s rotation, Craig acknowledged that his primary task is defense.

"My role on the team will vary more than anyone else's. NCT [Nairobi City Thunder] scouted me in the last game and saw that I can provide a scoring presence. They were physical with me, making sure to collapse on many of my touches. But I knew that because I had watched them play in the previous game.”

“My role was to provide a presence in the paint. I did a good job rebounding. Most importantly, though, I focused on defending. Even though I got those fouls, I thought they were good for us because I blocked a lot of shots.”

MBB will take on Nairobi City on Saturday, May 24, and will close the Nile Conference the following day against Al Ahli Tripoli.