Irish Basketball

ButtersSuki · 22-01-2015 9:52pm

stuba wrote: »

Sorry for the double post. Showed this to the father today, he'd a few not so nice things to say about Shannon after writing this. Anyone else have opinions?

I sort of know Kieran, we're in and around the same age, attended a number of underage camps etc. at the same time and he was in college with me for a year. That list however is deeply flawed, he's commenting on some players he would only have had fleeting glances at at best given his age, and the same problem exists with a lot of his pieces to this day - he writes more like a fan than a neutral and unbiased journalist. I've levelled the same criticism at him previously for his "Hanging from the rafters" book, which although an enjoyable read is littered with inaccuracies and a healthy degree of exaggeration - examples of which I gave at the time.

I wouldn't disagree with McHale at #1, but there's tonnes of things I'd disagree with after that. Placing Seamus Woods after McGurk is disgraceful to name but one example and just made me laugh out loud tbh. I wonder did Seamus' treatment of Shannon as a coach have anything to do with that one?

I could go on but I'm watching something on tv, I only came on for a quick browse during the ads....

Wang King · 22-01-2015 10:07pm

Interesting article, McHale was always a player I liked to watch, 50 points in a game by an Irishman was a big thing back then when it happened.
Wonder if we could do a top 20 of imports in the league?

stuba · 22-01-2015 11:20pm

I agree with you Buttersuki. While I am much younger my Father played throughout the 70s and 80s and my mother played late 80s so I was raised listening to stories about all these people, and idolised quite a few growing up. When I showed my Dad this article tonight he was none too pleased with a bit of the list, but I suppose as already said before it is only one mans opinion.

Really looking forward to the Ladies article tomorrow, if anything but to see how my father reacts to it tomorrow.

ButtersSuki · 23-01-2015 7:48pm

The ladies isn't as bad as the mens, but there are notable omissions - and not the ones he mentions in the preamble. You couldn't argue with No. 1, but he's missed a few ladies who went to the US (and Corkonians too I might add) on scholarships and a load of whom stayed behind too. Ah well, it's all subjective and just one guys opinion at the end of the day. Nothing to get all that bothered about I suppose……..

buyer95 · 23-01-2015 10:27pm

Can't comment on most of the list as the majority are all from before my time. However Donaghy at 24 is ridiculous. He was one of the very best players in the league, and at 6 7" had a very high skill level and great athlecism. He played the small forward position and often was tasked with defending the opponents USA wing imports. He had an offer to go to a good basketbsll college on an athletic scholarship, and the American coach Bradburd pushed him very hard to take it. But he was starting to break into the Kerry panel at the time and turned it down. Surely should be around the top 15 anyway.

stretchdoe · 25-01-2015 12:10am

buyer95 wrote: »

Can't comment on most of the list as the majority are all from before my time. However Donaghy at 24 is ridiculous. He was one of the very best players in the league, and at 6 7" had a very high skill level and great athlecism. He played the small forward position and often was tasked with defending the opponents USA wing imports. He had an offer to go to a good basketbsll college on an athletic scholarship, and the American coach Bradburd pushed him very hard to take it. But he was starting to break into the Kerry panel at the time and turned it down. Surely should be around the top 15 anyway.

Only saw Donaghy play live once and he was played off the court by Ronan McGarrity who looked a far superior basketball player to me and also played college in America so probably merits a mention.

Realise that just probably wasn't a great game for him and i did see some his cup performances on TV where he was excellent; seems to me he was a potentially excellent player who played some great games but don't think he was around long enough to merit a mention in Top 25 Irish players of all-time; top 25 potential, maybe.

Saw a good few of the rest of those mentioned play. Glad to see Stephen McCarthy listed so highly as thought he was an exceptional player; best player on the court any time i saw him.

Be interesting to see what some people i know, my dad especially, will say when they read this list; don't think they'll be in full agreement, somehow..

Anyway, it's great to see an article like this in a national newspaper in it's a great source of debate; have always liked Kieran Shannon as as a writer and think his book on Irish basketball is easily one of the best sports books i've read, Irish or otherwise, whatever about any inaccuracies some have mentioned in other comments.

Oh, and Liam McHale should definitely be number 1 and it's not even close.

skittles8710 · 25-01-2015 10:59am

Well done Glanmire and UCC demons!

PizzamanIRL · 25-01-2015 5:13pm

2 cracking close games today so far

devondudley · 25-01-2015 8:14pm

skittles8710 wrote: »

Well done Glanmire and UCC demons!

such strenght in dept in both teams they will surely be back again next year for 3 in a row

2old4dacold · 28-01-2015 7:42pm

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/obyrne-lays-out-his-hoop-dreams-309140.html

Interview with Bernard O'Byrne

Kinet1c · 01-02-2015 8:50am

2old4dacold wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/obyrne-lays-out-his-hoop-dreams-309140.html

Interview with Bernard O'Byrne

In the last two years the U16 and U18 international programmes have been restored

My understanding is that the kids have to pay to play on the teams. I'm not sure any of the other top sports in the country (soccer, rugby, GAA, boxing) would make a national representative pay to play for their national team. This needs to change and quick. Had I been told years ago that I'd have to pay to play for my national team, I'd not have bothered attending the inter regionals where they used to select the team.

The nationwide registration scheme does nothing for the clubs except make them demand more money from their players.

The debt may be reducing but they're hurting the players and clubs along the way.

ButtersSuki · 01-02-2015 9:37am

Kinet1c wrote: »

My understanding is that the kids have to pay to play on the teams. I'm not sure any of the other top sports in the country (soccer, rugby, GAA, boxing) would make a national representative pay to play for their national team. This needs to change and quick. Had I been told years ago that I'd have to pay to play for my national team, I'd not have bothered attending the inter regionals where they used to select the team.

The nationwide registration scheme does nothing for the clubs except make them demand more money from their players.

The debt may be reducing but they're hurting the players and clubs along the way.

You had to pay in my day!

buyer95 · 01-02-2015 1:54pm

Kinet1c wrote: »

My understanding is that the kids have to pay to play on the teams. I'm not sure any of the other top sports in the country (soccer, rugby, GAA, boxing) would make a national representative pay to play for their national team. This needs to change and quick. Had I been told years ago that I'd have to pay to play for my national team, I'd not have bothered attending the inter regionals where they used to select the team.

The nationwide registration scheme does nothing for the clubs except make them demand more money from their players.

The debt may be reducing but they're hurting the players and clubs along the way.

I've posted about this extensively in the past, yeah the players have to pay, and the amount they have to pay squeezes out an awful lot of our young players who simply cannot afford to pay the crazy amounts.

mixery · 01-02-2015 3:19pm

100% correct guys. It is quite expensive even to just play in the league. For a student it was 300€ for registration, plus additional costs like gear/travelling. None of the other sports are nearly as expensive.

killwill · 01-02-2015 11:01pm

It is the same in all "minority" sports in Ireland though.
I know of badminton players representing Ireland having to pay for flights and accomodation to go to championships. Its ridiculous.

PizzamanIRL · 15-03-2015 12:31am

Not related to the thread topic but I didn't want to post in the NBA thread.

I'm sure some of you saw this already but here's the amazing college Division 1 Final half-court winning shot by IT Carlow's Jimmy Ward the other day

https://youtu.be/CrM-hWl9qoA?t=1h29m45s

Irish Basketball

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