IT'S all change in Manchester as a new coach and a new team bid to reawaken the sleeping Giants of British basketball.
Dubliner Mark Ingle succeeded Andre Alleyne in the summer - his brief to make the Giants as competitive as possible within the constraints of a limited budget.
He's assembled a squad which is as much an unknown quantity to his rival coaches as to the Manchester public.
Together for less than a month, the side go to Chester Jets on Sunday for their first game of the new BBL season.
Ingle couldn't have had a tougher start. Far more experienced Giants sides than this one have succumbed to the hostile atmosphere generated by the Northgate Arena crowd.
And Jets coach Robbie Peers loves nothing better than putting one over his old club.
Objectives
''Our goal is the play-offs,'' said Ingle. ''But the objectives in the first few weeks will be to make sure we win our home games and pick up what we can on the road.''
Ingle's opposite number also has concerns about Sunday's game. ''I don't really know anything about Manchester,'' he said.
''But we will just worry about ourselves, first and foremost. We are improving all the time but I need to see vast improvement from our pre-season games.''
Peers has been boosted by the return of Kiwi international Pero Cameron who flew back into Britain on Wednesday. He's also been trying to add to his squad in time for the big tip-off.
Chester defeated the Giants three times out of four last season and start red-hot favourites to make it four out five.
However, Ingle hopes Chester's game against Derby Storm on Saturday will reduce the energy levels in time for Sunday's 5.30pm start.
Giants have played six pre-season matches, including five in last weekend's Cork Invitational tournament where they lost by a couple of points to Waterford in the final.
But it's going to be a different ball game against Chester who finished runners-up in the Northern Conference as well as lifting the Uni-ball Trophy - the first piece of silverware in their history.
Giants start their home campaign on October 14 when they host Thames Valley Tigers in the NTL National Cup (6pm).
Tweet