A lack of clear-cut favourite has made the Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League one of the most exciting sporting leagues in the country over the past three years. Last season, Tralee Warriors claimed the title on the final weekend of the season with a dramatic double header win over defending champions, UCD Marian. For the second straight year, the three major trophies were split by three different teams. This year there looks to be a close race again with some familiar names in contention again. Ahead of the new season we take a look at each of the twelve teams and look at the big questions facing them ahead of the new season.
Belfast Star (Last season 5th)
Last season’s Champions Trophy runners up were the surprise package of the season. Irish underage star CJ Fulton flourished in his first season showing great poise and averaging nine points per game. Despite leading the league at the halfway point last season, Star’s season took a hit last January when they got knocked out of cup and league contention in quick succession. American professional Mike Davis led the league in scoring last season and was a dynamic threat throughout the year. This year Davis is replaced by Delaney Blaylock who is making his professional debut after a standout career at Lewis University where he averaged 14ppg. Star will need Blaylock to be a similar threat to Davis last year to challenge the top teams. On the inside Irish international Keelan Cairns returns from playing professionally in Italy and again he will provide both an inside presence with his 6’10 frame but also outside shooting to further spread the floor. This year is a golden opportunity for Star with the mix of Irish and international talent, with the window to take advantage of CJ Fulton’s talent potentially closing as he finishes school in Ireland, the time is now for the Ulstermen. The big question facing the team is with a relatively young core will they be able to stay healthy and bring the consistency all season required to pull out the big wins necessary to capture silverware?
DCU Saints (Last season 6th)
A mixed season last year saw DCU finish 6th. Impressive wins including against top teams showed what the team are capable of but inconsistency still plagued the Northsiders. On the inside, the duo of Martins Provizors and Mike Bonaparte were a formidable opponent for any team in the country. A second year together will only strengthen this for the upcoming season. The return of Kevin Lacey and Charlie Coombes adds significant experience and much needed shooting to the Saints perimeter. For Vincent’s to take the next step and really push the title chasing pack they will need big seasons out of Kevin O’Hanlon and Graham Brannelly. O’Hanlon in particular has shown that he’s well capable of running an elite Super League team, yet injuries have limited his impact at times. The big question facing DCU is whether they will be able to have their key players together for the whole season. If the core starting five are healthy for the year, DCU could well content for one of the three available trophies.
UCD Marian (Last season 3rd)
Last season was a mixed season for UCD as they looked behind the pace before Christmas before a strong run of form shot them into contention for both the League and Cup. The loss of Daniel James from the League winning team in 2018 was noticeable early on and they are going to be challenged again this season with the loss of the veteran duo of JJ Vall Llobera and Conor Meany. Despite those loses, this is a team that has an experienced core that have played together for a number of years. In Mike Garrow they have an American who has shown his ability to score and they are further bolstered by the addition of BJ Andrews who previously averaged 25 ppg for Kubs in 2018. Coach Ioannis Liapakis will be preaching defense and a half court offense that has been amongst the best in the country for the past 3-4 years. A big season for Aidan Dunne could help the team stay in contention for the league for the 4th straight year. The big question for UCD Marian will be can they provide enough outside shooting to help spread the floor to give Mike Garrow the room to operate?
Templeogue (Last season 2nd)
Two years without a league title will feel like a drought for Mark Keenan and his charges, particularly with the talent at his disposal. Last season could be summed up by an inability to beat Tralee Warriors. Tralee knocked Templeogue out of the Cup and delivered them two body blows in the league. A lack of point guard and a lack of depth were the two areas that Templeogue were looking to address in the offseason. A new partnership with Griffith College brought in additional depth. Spaniard Xabier Arriata and Irish big man Oisin Kerlin will add depth to the frontcourt that already has reigning player of the year 6’10 Jason Killeen and American big man Darren Townes who returns to Ireland after three years In Portugal. With the Irish international trio of Stephen James, Lorcan Murphy and Neil Randolph on the perimeter Templeogue certainly have the quality to push for League honours. The big question facing the team will be can they get quality point guard play during the year. Stephen James often has to play out of his natural position, while American Puff Summers can only play while Darren Townes sits. If Templeogue can get the point guard position right it will be hard to see past them in the title chase.
Killester (last season 4th)
Reigning Cup Champions Killester came within a playoff of winning the league title two seasons ago and they will be desperate to end what will be seen as a league drought in the Northside club. The big news of the summer for Killester was the return of Isaac Westbrooks to the men in orange. Westbrooks has been one of the top talents in the league for years and he will add another key guard for Brian O’Malley. This year Killester have also signed a new Spanish big man Tomas Fernandez who has previous experience playing in Sweden and the LEB Gold League in Spain. He will bring shooting and size to a physical frontcourt. American Royce Williams who was the hero of the 2019 Cup win is gone and William Gibbons is in to replace him. With Irish international Ciaran Roe running the show again, Killester will definitely be in the mix for the Super League crown. The big question that will face Brian O’Malley’s men is which point guard is running the team? Both Isaac Westbrooks and Ciaran Roe are ball dominant guards who like to control the offense. If they can work together effectively, Killester might end their wait for a league title.
Neptune (last season 11th)
It looked like Neptune would be spending this season in the National League but UCC Demons late withdrawal provided a lifeline for the Leesiders. American Lehmon Colbert returns, but this time in the role of player coach. Colbert has been one of the strongest American’s in the country over the past four years but the challenge of player coach is a new one for him. His work will be made easier by the addition of his former Demons teammate Kyle Hosford who ha made the dramatic switch from Demons to his long time rivals. Hosford has consistently been one of the top point guards in the country and he will be hoping to have success again alongside Roy Downey in the backcourt. The duo alongside Colbert won the League for Demons but they will not have the same level of support on this year’s Neptune team. One big addition will be Spaniard Nil Sabata Vila who represented Spain at the U19 World Cup in 2015. He will bring extra size and rebounding for Neptune. The big question for Neptune will be how they deal with the lack of depth the squad has? Neptune’s underage success has meant many of their top players are now playing in the States, despite this there is still talent there and if Colbert can balance his own game and get the most out of his Irish talent, Neptune can expect an improved season.
Eanna (Last season Division One)
The 2019 Division One Champions return to the Super League after a one year hiatus. Eanna look to be an intriguing team who could take wins off some of the top teams in the league. Serbian Stefan Zecevic will be the primary focus for most opposing coaches. He has the combination of size, skill and athleticism that causes opponents lots of problems. With smarter defences game planning to slow him down it will be up to coach Darren McGovern to find ways to utilise his star player. Zecevic already has a good relationship with American Joshua Wilson after last season so that will definitely help. Wilson will need to have a strong season both scoring and creating opportunities for the likes of Neil Lynch. A key addition looks to be Marko Tomic a 6’7 Serbian shooter from Barry University who will help spread the floor. Another big addition for Eanna this year is Mark Reynolds who is a former Irish Senior International, who has played in both England and Germany. He will be expected to anchor their defense and provide help on the boards. On the inside, the loss of Conor Gallagher’s 6’11 body will create problems particularly when playing the top teams in the league who all have size inside. The big question for Eanna will they be able to win the physical battle in the paint against the top teams?
Killorglin (last season 9th)
Killorglin will be one of the most interesting teams heading into the coming season. Former Irish Select and Demons player coach Colin O’Reilly takes over in Kerry and he will be expected to challenge immediately while also developing their talented young core. Last season the team had big wins at home but often struggled on the road. Star European Daniel Jokubaitis went up the road to Kerry rivals Tralee Warriors and his production will be sorely missed. Joining O’Reilly are a trio of new international players. American Allan Thomas looks to be a dynamic guard who recently averaged 24 ppg in Romania’s top league last season. On the inside Pranas Skudauskus is an experienced physical big man who has played in the Lithuanian second division and he’s joined on the perimeter by young Swede Erik Flood who is a 6’4 wing. The big question facing Killorglin will be can they get consistent performances on the road particularly when they come to Dublin. With O’Reilly and Thomas they have a platform to build a team capable of competing with the top teams in the league.
Maree (last season 8th)
Last season was a very positive step in the right direction for Maree. Paul Freeman added experience to their frontcourt and the international duo of Niels Bunschoten and Sean Sellers both of whom were in the top 10 in scoring last year. Replacing their scoring production will be a major challenge for Mike Lynch. At the guard spot Eoin Rockall stepped up to the Senior Irish team during the past summer and another step forward will be needed for one of the top young players in the country. New American signing Darin Johnston will have a major task to carry the load offensively at times, but the big question facing Maree will be where else will they be able to get consistent scoring from? If the scoring production of Bunschoten isn’t replaced it could be a challenging year for the Galway men.
Moycullen (last season 10th)
Moycullen have consistently been one of the strongest clubs in the country particularly at underage level. For Moycullen to avoid relegation difficulties this season they will need some key young players to continue to learn on the job. Paul Kelly is a multi-sport star that has been dominant underage. Last season he showed flashes of promise in his first full season at Super League level, Moycullen will need Kelly and Paddy Lyons to provide great guard play this year for them to get some much needed wins. James Connaire looks to be a great talent and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the physicality of the league in his debut year. American duo of Grant Olsen and Daniel Vila will need to bring both a physical presence and scoring. The big question for Moycullen will be how they will deal with the size and physicality of the top teams in the league? With most teams having at least one big inside presence, Moycullen will need to find a way to protect the rim and rebound to give themselves a chance to compete.
Dublin Lions (last season Men’s Division One)
This will be Dublin Lions’ first season at Super League level and the young team will need to learn quickly to avoid dropping straight back down to Division One. In the National League last season Lions averaged 28 three point attempts per game and they will likely have a similar approach as they try and compete with the country’s top teams. Tiernan Howe and Finn Hughes are young players worth watching and for Lions to be able to survive this season he will need to have a strong Super League debut. On the inside Conroy Baltimore brings Super League experience from his time with Swords Thunder. He is athletic and physically capable but he will need help. One to watch will be 7 footer James Gormley who moves up from Portlaoise Panthers. Gormley was a part of Mark Keenan’s Senior Irish squad this past summer and looks to have good potential. The big question for Lions will be will they be able to defend at a high enough level to compete and can they hit enough threes to stay in games, particularly at home.
Tralee Warriors (last season 1st)
Defending champions Tralee Warriors managed to win the league in dramatic fashion last season and Pat Price’s men will be looking to be the first team since UCC Demons to defend their league title. Daniel Jokubaitis and Ivan Bogdanovic bring added depth as they join from Killorglin. Athletic big man Keith Jumper returns and he’s joined by new American signing 6’2 guard Jonathon Lawton. Last season’s win was largely down to the Irish players led by the duo of Paul Dick and Eoin Quigley. Quigley in particular reached new heights last season and continued his good work with the Irish squad during the summer. For Tralee to defend the title they will need both men to have strong seasons again. The biggest loss for Tralee is Dusan Bogdanovic. The 6’11 big man was crucial to the league run last year and his production will have to be replaced. The big questions facing Tralee are how can Pat Price get his rotation right to make the most of all of his weapons and whether or not the team’s eyes are more firmly set on a cup run this year? With the biggest home court advantage in the league it will take a big year for any team to wrestle the league title out of the Warriors grasp.
