Ireland – Superleague Season opener Demons V Tralee / Player Changes

Jacob Lawson September 23rd in Ireland still has people returning albeit to one degree or anotherin dribs and drabs from end of season holidays. What mark’s it differently though this year is that the Basketball season begins some 2 weeks or so earlier than normal and this is accounted for withthe addition of two extra teams to bring the total to the highest ever at 12 teams. Ok the general standardcan be said to belacklustre at both the import and regular Irishplayer standard to that say of the early 1980’s at least to the fan base that was fortunate to be around back thenwhen if you were not considered an NBA draftee no matter how late you were not up to scratch. Names such as Mario Elie (2 rings with Houston and 1 with San Antonio),Dan Trant (10th Rd no 228 Boston Celtics), Mike an Ray Smith who both excelled at the European level Mike with Joventut Badalona, Real Madrid and eventually The Spainish National Team and Ray also a household name in Spain’s ACB abounded.When all is said and done though all 12teams play during the opening weekend schedule the most intrigue laden matchup to be sure has to be tonight’s game at the Mardyke Arena Cork City between last season’s champions Blue Demons and returning County Kerry outfit Irish TV Tralee Warriors (out of the competition since 2009) (tip off @ 8 p.m.).The Blue Demons faithful fans overiding question is most certainly how will the loss of key components of the past several years, the most successful in the history of the club, namely player coach Colin O Reilly and Post player Lemhon Colbert affect theteams winning potential. On the other hand or to add to the intrigue how will the team makeup of Tralee compare to that of past successful Tralee teams at this level who have consistently come to Cork and generally expected to be ultra competitive no matter what the circumstances ?.Tralee have the added advantage at least in terms of import players in that they have signed 3 players American Trae Pemberton, Goran Pantovic from Serbia and Dusan Bogdanovic from Croatia. (With Tralee 1 import at the higher category level can only be on the floor at any point in time)Patrick Maher………………………………………………………Men’s Super League: Who’s New? Sep 22,2016 Belfast Star:Players In: Greg Womack – USA (Union Baloncesto Almendralejo), Will Hopper – GBR (Lemvig BK – Den), Eric Benedick – IRL/USA (UMF Sindri – ISL) Conor McElroy (Phoenix BC), Dominic Lynn (Phoenix BC), Oisin Duncan (Phoenix BC)Players Out: Shawn Vanzant, Sasha Seymore, Martin McDonald, Jordan McClelland, Kevin Stanley.Belfast Star are as ambitious as ever this season with Darren O’Neill taking over as Head Coach after a successful summer over the Ireland U20’s. Star’s Americans have been of All-Star quality in recent seasons and Greg Womack arrives in Ulster with both European club experience and a D1 College Career on his CV.English Point Guard William Hopper comes in from the Danish Leagues with Irish-American Eric Benedick coming in off the back of some impressive stats in Iceland.Commercial.ie EannaPlayers In: Nathaniel Muster – AUS (Lafayette College), Dillon Muldoon (DT Nets), Diogo Salazar – BRA, Laimonas Jonaitis (UCD Marian).Players Out: Sean Gordon, Conor GallagherNathaniel Muster is a big addition to the Men’s Super League – the 6’10 Centre replaces the departing Ireland International Conor Gallagher. The Australian is direct from 17 starts for Lafayette Leopards last season and scored in the NCAA Tournament Second Round loss to Villanova in 2015.Division 3 Collegiate Player of the Year Dillon Muldoon transfers from Donegal Town Nets while Laimonas Jonaitas joins up with former Dublin Inter team-mate Remi Dimiciukas from UCD Marian. 6’9 Brazilian Diogo Salazar had a two-year spell with Georgia Southern Eagles from 2005-2007.Ciaran MacEvilly will focus on playing duties Mick Thompson officially takes over as Head Coach.DCU Saints:Players In: Daniel Nelms – USA (Griffith Swords Thunder), Stephen O’Hanlon (Trinity-Pawling School – USA), Robert Sullivan (St. Vincent’s), Josko Srzic – CRO (Oblate Centurions)Players Out: Luka Nachbar Cvikl, Sean Moore, Duane Johnson.As injuries mounted for DCU Saints last season, Duane Johnson parachuted in to almost turn the title race on its head. This year Ex-Davidson forward Dan Nelms is back in North Dublin after an eye-catching season with Griffith Swords Thunder.That will take some of the pressure off Martins Provizors while Head Coach Joey Boylan has every reason to place more faith in the rookies in his squad after some impressive cameos last season.Mark Nagle returns to the club having completed his studies in UCD and electric Point Guard Stephen O’Hanlon is home from Trinity-Pawling School in New York.Griffith Swords Thunder:Players In: Justin Goldsborough – USA (Lehigh Mountain Hawks), Conroy Baltimore – USA (Lehigh Mountain Hawks), Charlie Coombes (Southeastern Oklahoma State University), Ian O’Boyle (Norwood Flames), Eric Westbrooks (Thomas Terriers), Conor Gallagher (Commercial.ie Eanna), Alex Calvo – ESP (Cronica Megacalzado Ardoi), Jose Maria Gil Narbon (Baloncesto Alcobendas)Players Out: Kaylim Noel, Sergi Guardia, Iulian Corneanu, Juan Ferrales, Dan Nelms.Once again Griffith Swords Thunder generated plenty of talk in the off-season. Ireland U20 International Charlie Coombes was one of the first to sign with Eric Westbrooks also returning from the States to join up with his brother Isaac. Senior International Shooting Guard Ian O’Boyle is home after a number of years in the southern hemisphere while Conor Gallagher is back in a Thunder uniform after a season with Commercial.ie Eanna.The addition of Chema Gil could prove a major coup for Head Coach David Baker. The 25 year old was a serious underage prospect with Real Madrid and won Spain’s first ever European U20 Championship alongside current Chicago Bull Nicola Mirotic.Irish TV Tralee Warriors:Players In: Trae Pemberton, Dusan Bogdanovic, Goran Pantovic, Darragh O’Hanlon (UCC Demons), Kieran Donaghy (St. Brendan’s), Michael O’Donnell (St. Brendan’s), Gary Fernane (Tralee Imperials), Paul McMahon (St. Brendan’s), Fergal O’Sullivan (St. Brendan’s), StephenHannafin (St.Brendan’s), Ricardo Leonard (St. Brendan’s), Ryan Leonard (Tralee Imperials), Darren O’Sullivan (St.Brendan’s), Gary Murphy (Tralee Imperials), John Dowling (Tralee Imperials).Hula Hoops National Intermediate Club Champions St. Brendan’s contribute seven players to the new squad including Kieran Donaghy who was part of the successful Tralee Tigers era under returning Coach Mark Bernsen.Donaghy will be helped in his efforts by American Point Guard Trae Pemberton in his first year as a professional and 6’10 big man Dusan Bogdanovic who spent some time on the underage books at Real Madrid. Goran Pantovic boasts the same height, but the former Drexel University forward won’t be cleared to play until the first round of the Hula Hoops Men’s National Cup.Four players step up from Tralee Imperials including talented youngsters Ryan Leonard and Gary Fernane.KUBS:Players In: Connor Ross (UCD Marian)KUBS spent most of last season in contention for the Men’s Division One title and finished their campaign with a League Cup title before graduating to the Men’s Super League.Their squad is largely the same as last season, but that means that American duo Jonathan Riles and Brian Edwards and both return alongside players of Super League experience like Conor James and Eoin Chubb.Connor Ross moves across from UCD Marian to ensure strength-in-depth in the guard positions. Kevin Foley continues as Player Coach and is expected to continue to blood the younger talent in the squad.Pyrobel Killester:Players In: Cian Nihill (SSE Airtricity Moycullen), Andrew McGeever (St. Vincent’s)Players Out: Juan Gabriel Martinez Bruno (ESP),Pyrobel Killester will have a settled squad for 2016/2017 as Coach of the …

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