This weekend, the Hula Hoops National Cup finals will be decided at the National Basketball Arena. It'll be two fascinating games. Balls.ie spoke to the four coaches involved to find out how preparations are going for the biggest weekend in Irish basketball.
Mark Keenan, Templeogue
There was a great buzz to get the win in Cork. We knew going down that that was going to be a tough game, playing Neptune in their own gym. Look the guys were really up to it. We have a core that have been there a few times and I think that really stood to us in Cork, and I'm hoping that'll stand to us on Saturday night. The mood in the camp is very good. The guys are excited.
On the season so far
For us, for ourselves, we've been too inconsistent in the league. Losing games we probably shouldn't have lost. Then we seem to get ourselves up for the big games. We've been a bit too inconsistent, but for the three big cup games so far, the guys have been really up for it.
On stopping Éanna
We played Éanna number of weeks ago in the league. It was high scoring. It was a very good contest that went right down to the last minute or two. It's hard to see a really high scoring game here on Saturday. But we've won low-scoring games before. It's all about how things pan out on the night. I don't think best defensive record or highest scoring stats will come into play. It's who can bring the game on Saturday. I like to think we can win the game both ways. Our defense - even though we're conceding more than other teams - I think when we lock in, we're as good as anybody. And we will have to lock in against Wilson and Zecovic. We will be looking for a big defensive performance on Saturday. They have been very consistent throughout the league. That was a big semifinal league win for them over Tralee. They're a very good team and we're going to have to play very well if we're going to try to beat them.
On the prospect of a South Dublin derby
I think that's going to bring a really great atmosphere to the Arena. Just look at the crowd that Éanna brought to the semifinals and I know our Red Army is getting revved up. I think it's going to be a brilliant occasion.
Darren McGovern, Éanna
On being in a cup final in the first season back in the Super League
It's a bit surreal. A lot of the preseason prep with recruiting was all about winning enough games to stay sustainable in the Super League. And now we're in a Cup final! At the start of the season, we had a look at our squad, and we started winning a few games, and we went on a run and we realised we're quite talented. We could go places. We could do things. It's a kind of a dream situation to be in a national cup final, in the biggest game in the country. But we're delighted to be here.
On stopping Tralee
They beat us the week before, and they were quite good on the offensive boards. They got a lot of second chance points. So we made it a plan not just to stop them from getting boards but to crowd them when they did. We cut those easy shots off. The other thing was we let Tralee get a really big lead on us. We said if we're really close to them at half time, our level of fitness will carry us through. Our second half performances are generally quite high. And both those things worked perfectly for us.
On what kind of final to expect
We love to score the ball too. A lot of teams identify us really good scorers of the ball but solid defensively. We played them 6-8 weeks ago and it was a really high scoring game. We think it could be similar again, up and down. A lot of paint scorers and a lot of three pointers. If it goes that way, it could be a really exciting game. It might be really hard to watch on the sidelines. I'd like an open game because it suits us. They'd like an open game because it suits us.
On beating the neighbours
I suppose for the players it doesn't much matter but it does matter for the supporters and the clubs. Don't let you neighbours beat you etc. It's not one of those those that we're sitting on, like 'ah we need to beat them because they're close'. They're strong over the years. They've got banners in the gym. They've got experienced players, experienced coaches. We're going in as huge underdogs and that's a good tagline to have in a cup final, because that means the pressure is off.
Killester vs Brunell
Karl Kilbride, Killester
It's the biggest weekend in Irish basketball and everyone wants to be a part of it. After the excitement of our semifinal win, we're just looking forward to Sunday finally arriving.
That's the kind of high-velocity basketball we play. We play high-tempo, we shoot a lot of threes. We have really high scoring games. It can make for really exciting and stressful games for people watching, including me.
On stopping Brunell
They have so much firepower. We've played them twice this season. They were both really good games. We played the first game of the season. We were both missing players. I think they won by 5. And just before Christmas, we beat them in overtime. They were really close games. They're so big. They've got Treyanna Clay. We saw the damage she did in the semifinal against DCU. They've got Sinead O'Reilly there. And Greta Tamasanskaite is one of the best three point shooters in the league. We know any mistakes we make will be punished. We can score with just about anybody but we need to be sure we're switched on defensively.
In being back in a Cup final
We were here three years in a row, but that was five years ago. At the time, we thought 'we'll get it next year' but it doesn't always work like that. It makes us appreciate it a little bit, because it's been a while. The last time we were here, we didn't give a good account of ourselves. It makes us appreciate the opportunity we have now. Three of the girls who were there five years ago are here now. They're three of our stalwarts.
It's a great time for Irish women's basketball
The women's game over the past five or six years has skyrocketed. That's at national league level, Super League level and at international level. I'm involved with a couple of the underage Irish teams and the girls have done so well, year in and year out. All those girls that did that U16, U17 and U18 level are all coming through now to the Super League. It's a really exciting time.
Tim O'Halloran, Brunell
On beating DCU to reach the final
DCU have been so good in these kinds of games, we needed a really good plan to beat them. But once the game started, it was all in the girls hands really. We just fought to the very end. The girls were just awesome on defense. DCU are such a good team but I have to give our girls credit. They were awesome on the day.
On learning from last year's cup final defeat
Last time was our first time making the final. We went up the night before last year, on the Saturday night. It was kind of a long weekend. The girls got to find out what a cup weekend was all about. Looking back on it, it was probably a bit too long of a weekend.
On the rise of Irish women's basketball
I thought the standards of both semifinals was very good. I thought they were the best games of the weekend to be honest. It goes to show how strong the league is, because I think everyone had predicted that it was going to be DCU against Glanmire.
On how to stop Killester
They're one of the in-form teams at the moment, over the last month or two. We played the first game of the season and they beat us before Christmas in overtime. But it's going to be an outstanding final between two evenly matched teams. It's going to be anyone's to win.
