Irish Basketball

stuba

Anyone interested or involved in basketball circles in Ireland will be interested in this article about one of the great imports to play Superleague basketball in Ireland, Anthony Jenkins.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130723/articles/130729879

Da GOAT

damn, he coached me for years and years.

buyer95

Good article about the Cup in the examiner today.


Future bright as basketball embraces past
Tuesday, January 14, 2014

It still has a heart.

By David Shonfield
And it can still stop your heart like few other sports can.

Irish basketball had one of its big weekends the one just past, with the Neptune Stadium and the Parochial Hall pulsating to the sound of music, a bouncing ball and the roars and gasps and screams and shrieks of those who were lucky enough to flock to those old basketball cathedrals on the north side of Cork for the National Cup semi-finals.

The Friday night men’s clash of UCC Blue Demons and Killester from Dublin was particularly dramatic, as if someone had taken a time tunnel back to 1987 when the same two clubs served up another classic cup semi-final. Just as then a Demons player went to the free-throw line with his side down a point and only seconds remaining. Just as then, the Demons player only made one of the two shots so, just as then, the game went into overtime. This time though, Demons would be the ones to shade it in that extra period, 87-86.

That 1987 game enjoys a certain immortal status. Playing for Killester that night was Mario Elie, who would go on to not only make the NBA but win three world championships. Their other American, Kelvin Troy, is one of four or five players synonymous with that golden age for the sport. Last Friday night’s game will likewise live in the memory of those who witnessed it, especially Demons die-hards. At the start of the fourth quarter they trailed by 15 points. Their best player, player-coach Colin O’Reilly, was fouled out. Enter young Adrian O’Sullivan from Ballincollig. It didn’t all go to plan. He fluffed his first drive. He was the man who missed one of those two free-throws with just eight seconds to go. But he was still The Man, with his drives and threes and just sheer daring that triggered a sense among the Demons faithful that they might still do it and that creeping dread among Killester folk that they just might blow it.

Afterwards, as everyone else in the packed stadium struggled to take in the drama they’d just witnessed, this column couldn’t but help think of the cup semi-finals weekend five years ago.

It was up in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, on a Sunday afternoon. About 400 people had been in the place for a riveting women’s semi-final between Glanmire and DCU Mercy. But once it was over, half the crowd left. The two men’s semi-finals were still to come. A drab game between Killester and Tralee was played out in an even drabber atmosphere. The clash between Killester and Neptune that followed was better and closer but everywhere you still looked there were empty seats. For the first time in quarter of a century there were no TV cameras for a men’s semi-final. I was never so despondent about Irish basketball. Basketball, for all its troubles since the ’80s, at least had always had the cup. Now it seemed it had lost even that. That same year I was researching Hanging from the Rafters: The Story of Neptune and the Golden Age of Irish Basketball. I suggested to the Neptune committee and Basketball Ireland that to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Neptune Stadium and Terry Strickland’s legendary Cup-winning basket there that Neptune should host the 2010 cup finals. The Neptune committee at the time were initially reluctant about the idea but it grew on them and when their Superleague team were drawn to play old rivals Demons in the semi-final, they successfully bid to host it.

It turned out to be an even greater success than even I could have envisaged. I thought it had been a mistake in 2007 to split the semi-finals and finals over different weekends, and that they should be run off over the same weekend as they had been for over 20 years. The way it has transpired, each weekend can stand alone. Neptune and Cork have made the semi-final weekend stand alone. The cup has helped galvanise Neptune just as Neptune have helped galvanise the Cup. Basketball Ireland has stopped running away from the sport’s history, instead embracing it, while creating a new cup tradition, its senior finals now played on Friday nights, up in the Arena, televised by Setanta.

Adrian O’Sullivan’s father, Francis, played for all three north side superpowers in the ’80s but has been coaching on the south side in Ballincollig for nearly 20 years now. Adrian played for Ballincollig, just like his brother and Demons teammate Ciaran. Last Friday night the club had tens of youngsters up in the stadium.

“Just for them to experience that buzz, we’ll benefit for 10 years,” says Francis. “It’s like when you saw the likes of Lennie [McMillian] play back in the day.”

That’s why he bounced out of the Neptune Stadium last weekend. Not just because the son he taught the layup to all those years ago shone on the big stage but that another generation will want to shine and play too. Irish basketball still has issues. Most glaringly, it still has no national team. But as the story of the weekend and the O’Sullivans show, it still has a pulse and a heart, a future as well as a past.

stuba

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_23829237/sun-advocate-ex-utep-basketball-player-chris-craig

Sorry to always be the barer of bad news… was the point guard/coach with the Tigers.

Great to hear the cup semi weekend went off well, was anyone there? Could make it but watched bits and pieces online

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_23829237/sun-advocate-ex-utep-basketball-player-chris-craig

Sorry to always be the barer of bad news… was the point guard/coach with the Tigers.

Great to hear the cup semi weekend went off well, was anyone there? Could make it but watched bits and pieces online

Wow that has literally left me speechless. I remember when they won the cup and him and Smallwood were unreal, Donaghy would have been there too. He should have got MVP in that game, but it went to Smallwood(who did have a great game.) That would have been circa 2006 I think. How did you stumble across this as a matter of interest?

D2D

stuba wrote: »

Great to hear the cup semi weekend went off well, was anyone there? Could make it but watched bits and pieces online

Went to the men's semi-finals on Friday. Demons/Killester was just a fantastic game to watch. Killester were coasting by 15 going into the 4th and just fell apart, leading to Demons bringing it to OT. Crowd really came into it on the Demons comeback and were unbelievable for the rest of the game. Great to see a Cork team heading up to Tallaght yet again. Neptune/Inter game kinda went along the same path. Inter pulled out a massive lead but Neptune went on an 4th quarter run to bring it back but Inter did deserve to go to the final

stuba

Cheers Dare2defy, sounds like a greats night basketball. When isn't it though I guess, it's some weekend. Both weekends, some value for money. Always has been.

Buyer95, was raised in the Basketball circles down here in Tralee. Nothing goes passed us, we don't think it does anyway. Heard it back when it happened but never thought to post it here, don't ask why. It is mad though, he was a kid when he was here in Tralee. 2005 It was when we won the cup that time, have the semi final and final on DVD. Must pull it out and give it a watch sometime. That was one of the dream teams of Tralee basketball, Smallwood, Craig, O Hea, Mike Quirke, Star, Roscoe, Teahan.

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

Cheers Dare2defy, sounds like a greats night basketball. When isn't it though I guess, it's some weekend. Both weekends, some value for money. Always has been.

Buyer95, was raised in the Basketball circles down here in Tralee. Nothing goes passed us, we don't think it does anyway. Heard it back when it happened but never thought to post it here, don't ask why. It is mad though, he was a kid when he was here in Tralee. 2005 It was when we won the cup that time, have the semi final and final on DVD. Must pull it out and give it a watch sometime. That was one of the dream teams of Tralee basketball, Smallwood, Craig, O Hea, Mike Quirke, Star, Roscoe, Teahan.

I'm from that neck of the woods also. Some team alright, boy could Craig hit that 3 pointer. It just seems so crazy, from what I remember of the guy he was well mannered, well spoken and worked really hard. He was only about 25 when he was here and came from a good college programme in El Paso where he set the record for most 3's in the colleges history, and led El Paso to the NCAA D1 Tournament in 04 were they played Maryland.

The whole thing sounds so bizzare, is it possible that he is a schizophrenic? I just looked into where he went after he left Tralee, and he went on to become head coach at a junior college in Utah where he had big success ad from there became head coach at Midland College in Texas. He apparently resigned in March last year in extremely unusual circumstances. The day after he resigned, he posted on his Twitter account and personal blog about end-of-the world prophecies. He also called President Barack Obama a "false prophet" in that blog and wrote that former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was an "anti-christ" and a "false messiah."

The more I look into this, the more I think Craig has some mental issues and is not really an "Israeli Jihadist." This article in the link gives a more balanced view, interviewing the chaplain of the college he coached at before he resigned, and the guy he lived with after he resigned.http://www.mrt.com/sports/article_241ba966-0dda-5ae3-b1b4-38d208c73de8.html

"I really think he has some mental health issues that have gone unattended by him," Fox said. "There are things he needed to deal with but hasn't dealt with them. When you have emotional struggle, family difficulties, stress of a season, stress of an addiction and an unhealthy messiah complex, you have a combustible situation." - his pastor. Still shocking, but I hope that it is indeed a mental issue that he can get help with and that he isn't a racist. It sounds like Craig just became overwhelmed and acted in a rash manner, which sounds very like a person going through turmoil in their life and losing the run of themselves.

killwill

stuba wrote: »

Cheers Dare2defy, sounds like a greats night basketball. When isn't it though I guess, it's some weekend. Both weekends, some value for money. Always has been.

Buyer95, was raised in the Basketball circles down here in Tralee. Nothing goes passed us, we don't think it does anyway. Heard it back when it happened but never thought to post it here, don't ask why. It is mad though, he was a kid when he was here in Tralee. 2005 It was when we won the cup that time, have the semi final and final on DVD. Must pull it out and give it a watch sometime. That was one of the dream teams of Tralee basketball, Smallwood, Craig, O Hea, Mike Quirke, Star, Roscoe, Teahan.

Was Ricardo Leonard not playing at that time too?

Howard Juneau

killwill wrote: »

Was Ricardo Leonard not playing at that time too?

He was indeed, still living & working in Tralee

stuba

He was but dont think he was on the team that won the cup. Had to have 2 Irish on the floor at all times so between the 3 imports and Scoe, playing time was tight enough.

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

He was but dont think he was on the team that won the cup. Had to have 2 Irish on the floor at all times so between the 3 imports and Scoe, playing time was tight enough.

I think he played with Limerick that year? Leonard was probably the best modern American player to play in the super league.

killwill

Howard Juneau wrote: »

He was indeed, still living & working in Tralee

Working in Limerick ;-)

Howard Juneau

killwill wrote: »

Working in Limerick ;-)

Lol, his day job indeed, thought he still did a bit of bouncing here though

killwill

Howard Juneau wrote: »

Lol, his day job indeed, thought he still did a bit of bouncing here though

Ye must have the best behaved niteclub with a man that size at the door!!!!!

D2D

Dunno if anyone is watching but the Mens National Final is on now on Setanta Ireland. Glanmire took home the women's cup by beating UL in OT

D2D

Demons wrap up an excellent night for Cork basketball!!!!!:D:D:D:D

buyer95

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

Dunno if anyone is watching but the Mens National Final is on now on Setanta Ireland. Glanmire took home the women's cup by beating UL in OT

Yeah I was watching alright, the womens game was a far better game. Couldn't believe the inept tactics employed by Dublin Inter. In the first half they attempted 26 3's, and only 10 regular field goals, madness :eek:!They played much the same in the 2nd half. How do you expect to win a cup final like that? Fair play to Demons though, they played well, even if they weren't really ever tested. Inter tired noticably I thought in the second half. Would have been a much better final if Killerster or Marian were playing Demons though. Congrats to both Glanmire and Demons though, as you said a great day for Cork basketball.

stuba

Not sure how relevant this is but said I'd post it cause someone might find it interesting or remember him. Dan Trant, who played with Marian and St Galls (Open to correction on St Galls) was killed in the attacks in 9/11. Was watching clips of Jason Williams with the old man and he said how he reminded him of Dan Trant.

http://www.legacy.com/sept11/story.aspx?personid=94284

ButtersSuki

stuba wrote: »

Not sure how relevant this is but said I'd post it cause someone might find it interesting or remember him. Dan Trant, who played with Marian and St Galls (Open to correction on St Galls) was killed in the attacks in 9/11. Was watching clips of Jason Williams with the old man and he said how he reminded him of Dan Trant.

http://www.legacy.com/sept11/story.aspx?personid=94284

Jeez, sad to hear that (and I'm only hearing it now ); played against him, seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Yep, he played for Galls too.

finisklin

Video remembering Dan Trant & 911 here.

I saw him play and for a point guard he had a lot of energy and scoring prowess. He really was inspirational and one of the guys that helped build the legend (and reality!) of Irish basketball in the 80s.

annelin

yea i agree

stuba

https://www.pledgesports.org/projects/european-championship-dream/

stuba

Just watching the 1984 draft Doc that was on NBA TV last night and they have a nice segment on Dan Trant on it. He was the last pick in the draft by the Celtics and they show a few clips of a him playing college ball and Jeff Van Gundy said they he couldn't guard him that he was just too good. Nice piece.

ButtersSuki

stuba wrote: »

Just watching the 1984 draft Doc that was on NBA TV last night and they have a nice segment on Dan Trant on it. He was the last pick in the draft by the Celtics and they show a few clips of a him playing college ball and Jeff Van Gundy said they he couldn't guard him that he was just too good. Nice piece.

Is it worth a look overall?

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

Just watching the 1984 draft Doc that was on NBA TV last night and they have a nice segment on Dan Trant on it. He was the last pick in the draft by the Celtics and they show a few clips of a him playing college ball and Jeff Van Gundy said they he couldn't guard him that he was just too good. Nice piece.

Don't mean to nit pick, but why are you posting this in the Irish basketball thread?

stuba

buyer95 wrote: »

Don't mean to nit pick, but why are you posting this in the Irish basketball thread?

He used to play in the Irish leagues. And ButtersSuki didn't get a chance to watch it all but it did seem to be a decent watch.

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

He used to play in the Irish leagues. And ButtersSuki didn't get a chance to watch it all but it did seem to be a decent watch.

Didn't know that, who did he play for? Must have been one of the earlier recruits if he was drafted in 84 and St Pauls Killarney only got the whole ball rolling with regards to imports around 81 or so.

For Forks Sake

buyer95 wrote: »

Didn't know that, who did he play for? Must have been one of the earlier recruits if he was drafted in 84 and St Pauls Killarney only got the whole ball rolling with regards to imports around 81 or so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCD_Marian

1984
Team Yoplait had a very successful campaign in Division 2, finishing a close second behind Liam McHales Ballina, and winning promotion back to the top flight.

The season was topped off by an International Tournament, which featured Winthrop College from North Carolina, held in Inchicore.

With renewed vigour and healthy funding, the club faced into 1984-85 season with confidence. Fran Ryan took over as coach and Dan Trant, an exciting guard and Alvis Rogers a 6’8” power forward from Wake Forest were brought in.

stuba

He's before my time but my dad and all his gang played in the league back then. He'd be raving on about all these players to me growing up. He thinks he might have played in Belfast too for a while, and played in the Roy Curtis in Inchicore too.

finisklin

I stand to be corrected but don't think he played in the north. A couple of seasons with Marian. A serious player with speed and energy that lit up the court. A huge score as well.

Played with spud webb when he went back to the states in 87 in the CBA.

More here from this tribute.

So many rich stories from Irish basketball in the 80s. Phenomenal time for the sport.

Dan Trant a gent.

finisklin

More here on that documentary.

The 1984 draft was one of the strongest ever producing Jordan, Hakeem, John Stockton and the round mound of rebound - Charles Barkley. Trant was last pick to the celtics.
Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton - See more at: http://dimemag.com/2014/06/84-draft-documentary-highlighted-story-dan-trant/#sthash.XCsxeWes.dpuf
Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton - See more at: http://dimemag.com/2014/06/84-draft-documentary-highlighted-story-dan-trant/#sthash.XCsxeWes.dpuf

buyer95

Don't know if anyone cares, but the Irish u18's won their first tournament game in 7 years. Things didn't go as well in the next 2 games. In the final game Ireland came up against Ukraine, a team with one of the hottest prospect around. The kids name is Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and nbadraftnet list his biggest weakness as being too good!

Good article.

http://thecourtsidecollective.com/irish-basketball-vs-potential-greatness/

boardsuser1

Just looking through the list of names here,brings back some memories of all the games i travelled to in all corners of the country, does the name Vince Daly ring any bells with ye boardsies??? Ex kerry spring water /gleneagle lakers, also spent about half a season with Neptune

ButtersSuki

KC161 wrote: »

Just looking through the list of names here,brings back some memories of all the games i travelled to in all corners of the country, does the name Vince Daly ring any bells with ye boardsies??? Ex kerry spring water /gleneagle lakers, also spent about half a season with Neptune

Yup. He was out of St. Brendan's in Killarney if memory serves me correctly. Also played with Tralee and I think he may even have won a league medal with them, he was certainly around that time. One of those guys who was ignored at international level underage partly due to not being from Dublin or Cork (lol in some ways, not in others). Had a couple of good seasons from a scoring perspective in the National League but the scouting report wasn't as gracious from a defensive point of view. Small forward (position wise, not height - lol about 6'4"?), good fast break finisher, ok shooter but not a 3 point threat. But hey, that's 15-20 years ago at least, I could be wrong.

boardsuser1

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Yup. He was out of St. Brendan's in Killarney if memory serves me correctly. Also played with Tralee and I think he may even have won a league medal with them, he was certainly around that time. One of those guys who was ignored at international level underage partly due to not being from Dublin or Cork (lol in some ways, not in others). Had a couple of good seasons from a scoring perspective in the National League but the scouting report wasn't as gracious from a defensive point of view. Small forward (position wise, not height - lol about 6'4"?), good fast break finisher, ok shooter but not a 3 point threat. But hey, that's 15-20 years ago at least, I could be wrong.

In short you are spot on in all aspects of him including the height, mostly wore his beloved #6 he has worked in Cork since 1998 and resided permanently since 2000,he constantly commuted back and forth for games training etc,until recent years he played with fr Matthews, he was capped at international level, I frequently meet with him here in Cork even though now in his 40's he still maintains a fitness level of someone in their 20's

skittles8710

Cup finals weekend kicking off the 9th of January. Looking forward to it think teams are closely matched and atmosphere in the arena should be great for the premier mens

killwill

skittles8710 wrote: »

Cup finals weekend kicking off the 9th of January. Looking forward to it think teams are closely matched and atmosphere in the arena should be great for the premier mens

Are they based in the Mardyke in Cork this year?

skittles8710

killwill wrote: »

Are they based in the Mardyke in Cork this year?

The mens finals are in the Mardyke. Women's and underage in other arenas around think Neptune and a couple other places

skittles8710

http://basketballireland.ie/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=134

Scroll down to 9th to 11th January for details

stuba

I've posted a few times about Chris Craig before, but this article was published in the Examiner before Christmas. Very sad.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/waiting-and-hoping-for-the-real-chris-to-rebound-303839.html#.VJ1sMiHA_cN.facebook

buyer95

stuba wrote: »

I've posted a few times about Chris Craig before, but this article was published in the Examiner before Christmas. Very sad.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/waiting-and-hoping-for-the-real-chris-to-rebound-303839.html#.VJ1sMiHA_cN.facebook

Thanks a lot for sharing. I read your first link to this story with disbelief, and this is really sad. Well written and researched as always by Kieran Shannon. I remember the year Tigers won the cup with Craig, he was an outstanding point guard with amazing three point accuracy. He should have won MVP in the final but it went to the other American(Smallwood was it??) who was also an amazing talent. He seemed like a guy with such charisma, such a sad story. Hopefully he can make a recovery for the sake of his family.

skittles8710

buyer95 wrote: »

Thanks a lot for sharing. I read your first link to this story with disbelief, and this is really sad. Well written and researched as always by Kieran Shannon. I remember the year Tigers won the cup with Craig, he was an outstanding point guard with amazing three point accuracy. He should have won MVP in the final but it went to the other American(Smallwood was it??) who was also an amazing talent. He seemed like a guy with such charisma, such a sad story. Hopefully he can make a recovery for the sake of his family.

Yes the mvp went to Smallwood..great partnership by two of them that year and Chris seemed very friendly when he was about town. You never know what's going on I guess!

2old4dacold

I'm interested in going to some of the Cup finals weekend as I've never been. I used to always watch them as a kid when the whole weekend (semis and finals) used to be covered on RTE back in the glory days. I know the semi's are this week but what weekend are the finals? I presume they still take place in Tallaght. Is it tickets on the door or can they booked online?

skittles8710

2old4dacold wrote: »

I'm interested in going to some of the Cup finals weekend as I've never been. I used to always watch them as a kid when the whole weekend (semis and finals) used to be covered on RTE back in the glory days. I know the semi's are this week but what weekend are the finals? I presume they still take place in Tallaght. Is it tickets on the door or can they booked online?

The finals are on the weekend starting Fri 23rd January. Tickets will probably go on sale online in the next week or so. Last year the Senior Mens session sold out online in advance as far as I can remember.

skittles8710

Were there any boardsies at the semi finals this weekend???

Went all 3 days..great atmosphere and skills on show and great to see full house everyday. Some comebacks too Killester in the Senior Women's and Moycullen in the Div 1 Mens..can't wait to see them play again in the final in a couple of weeks.

2old4dacold

2old4dacold wrote: »

I'm interested in going to some of the Cup finals weekend as I've never been. I used to always watch them as a kid when the whole weekend (semis and finals) used to be covered on RTE back in the glory days. I know the semi's are this week but what weekend are the finals? I presume they still take place in Tallaght. Is it tickets on the door or can they booked online?

skittles8710 wrote: »

The finals are on the weekend starting Fri 23rd January. Tickets will probably go on sale online in the next week or so. Last year the Senior Mens session sold out online in advance as far as I can remember.

All games Saturday or Sunday this year, and I'm working both days so it stays on the bucket list for another year could have made Friday evening if it had stayed that way

stuba

Second session on Saturday is booked out now too for this year

stuba

The eve of another cup final weekend and with it a sense of history about it for those of us steeped in Irish hoops, writes Kieran Shannon.

On one hand, there’s anticipating the history that could be made over the next few frenetic days and games, on the other, the memories of the tradition it will all follow.

We could almost go all Al Tony D’Amato Pacino with this weekend’s various finalists, invite them over to our house for some jambalaya with Ben Hur playing in the background, and remind them, “McHale, Sully, Jasper — you’re part of all that now.”

The cup is a little over 30 years old at this point, and the national league itself, 10 years older.

Enough time and body of work, you would think, to have a right good debate about what have been the best Irish players over that time span.

It also meant some stipulations. First, you’d to be over 28 to make this; hence, Kyle Hosford, the most dynamic guard in the country right now, must wait a bit longer for consideration.

Americans or Bosmans with Irish passports didn’t qualify either; hence, no Pat Burke of NBA or Real Madrid fame, or any of the US players who played for the national teams of the noughties.

A lot of things went into the mix.

Could they — did they — do it at international level against bigger bodies and bigger talent? Could they — did they — cut it as a pro? Were they fair to their own talent and thus their teammates?

Winning — and being the winning of — leagues and cups mattered. So did longevity, reliability, mental toughness, qualities often undervalued by hoops purists who can over-lionise maverick and technical skill. We did, however, show a preference for big men, as this is overloaded with guards.

There’s a long list of honourable mentions that we know will only prompt righteous outrage in some quarters. Pat Quirke, Mono McCarthy and Darren McGuinness were among the most mesmerising and outrageous ball-handlers and talents the country has seen but you couldn’t necessarily depend on them to make your next practice.

Anyone who played with or coached Karl Butler in the 1980s will say he was possibly the best junior and senior international of that era but visibility and longevity mitigated against him.

Likewise, Conor Grace, for all his durability in playing professionally for close to a decade, just misses out.

Up in the Joshua Tree in the heart of the Cork northside, Blue Demons fans will scoff at the absence of Mono, Noel McCarthy, John Cooney, Seanie Murphy, Brian Clernon and Niall O’Reilly.

Just down the road, Neptune diehards will be similarly derisive how Paul Kelly and a legion of guards — Gordon Fitz, Nugie, Noonan — were overlooked.

In Dublin, St Vincent’s stalwarts will question how Dave Fitzsimmons who graced Crystal Palace in the 70s is likewise omitted.

In Killester, Eamonn Molly’s omission will jar, as will the absence of anyone from the Westbrooks or Grennell households. A nod too to Pete Masden, who won his share of cup and league finals in the noughties. In Kerry, Tim O’Regan was one of the league’s first big men and scorers.

We could go on. Instead it’s time to see who made it. Cue the Chicago Bulls song, ‘At shooting guard, from Tramore, County Waterford...’

25. DAMIEN SEALY

A winner: with five Cups from his time with Notre Dame and Killester, no one has won more in January, though Shane Coughlan and Niall O’Reilly will probably change that this weekend. An international at a time when only a couple of Irish-born players were making the national team. Athletic, reliable, dogged, he was the X-factor for a lot of Dublin title-winning teams.
24. KIERAN DONAGHY

Too fleeting a basketball presence for some observers but in these eyes that can only affect his ranking, not his inclusion. Anyone who saw him and Micheal Quirke carry Tralee on their backs with both Americans fouled out to beat a stacked Killester team in the 2008 league final down in Limerick witnessed one of the standout moments of the Superleague era. Donaghy scored 22 points that day in a low-scoring game, having put up 24 points only a day earlier in the semi-final against Neptune. He would never play Superleague again after that weekend.
23. PAUL FITZGERALD

A couple of bigs just miss out here — Conor Grace, Jason Killeen — but Fitzgerald gets the nod.
At 17 he was starting and scoring a dozen points for Neptune in the decisive game of the 1983 league against St Vincent’s. Six years later his transfer and contribution to Blue Demons swung the first league of the one-American era. That he did very little after that was a shame but his size and moves made him probably the most valued Irish international of 80s.

22. JOHN TEAHAN

Rus Bradburd has coached a lot of basketball, including at D1 level with the likes of Timmy Hardaway, yet he’ll say Teahan and Kieran Donaghy are the two most ferocious competitors he ever coached. The key to Tralee’s 1996 league win and still the heartbeat of their other title-winning teams in the Donaghy-Quirke era.
21. MARK KEENAN

At 5’5’’ there’s hardly been anyone smaller to play for the national team yet he was central to it for over a decade, from starring in 1984 with the first junior team to win an international game to 10 years later winning the Promotions Cup. His handling, passing, speed and tenacity were reminiscent of Mugsy Bogues while his longevity – 17 years in the league – was staggering.
20. PAT BOYLAN

He maybe didn’t have the refinement, reputation or ultimately league medal count of other leading forwards of the 1980s but this St Vincent’s clubman was an exceptional athlete and big-game scorer; in three of the four Top Four National Championship finals that he won, he scored at least 22 points as well as racking up 21 points in the inaugural National Cup final against Demons in ’84. Could also play and score at international level.
19. ANDY HOULIHAN

He didn’t have the finesse of future inside players but Houlihan was the mainstay of the national team in the 70s. Then in the four Top Four finals either side of the advent of the Americans he averaged 20 points, with Demons or Killarney.
18. MICHEAL QUIRKE

Like Donaghy, we’d like to have seen more of him but in his 10 years on and off, he’d win two leagues and two cups. In the 2007 cup semi-final against Vincent’s he was an absolute beast, scoring 29 points, but his finest hour was his last hour when in the 2008 league final Killester’s big men looked like they didn’t even want to enter the key — his key.
17. GER HEAPHY

How special was this guy? His first game leaving Neptune for the North Mon in 1990 was a derby against Demons. Big game. Nerves could have unsettled him. He scored 40 points. A streetfighter. Pure dynamite.
16. SEAMUS WOODS

He would play most of the 80s in Division Two with St Colm’s from his native Limerick, but his astonishing versatility and guile would be showcased when he’d join Neptune, inspiring — not just helping — them to multiple honours; over five national finals in that time he’d average 16 points.
15. TIM McCARTHY

Danny Fulton reckons he never coached a smarter player for Ireland. Whether getting out on the fast break or making a cut to the hoop, no Irish player made layups or bigger baskets for Demons in the 80s.
14. OWEN McKEON

The league had some great guard in the 70s — Cooney, Molloy, Quirke — but McKeon was the first guard who could jump shoot off the dribble. Adrian Fulton can still see the 70-foot bounce pass he threw to a St Vincent’s teammate in the 1983 Top Four win. With his Kareem-like goggles, McKeon stood out in the 80s.
13. STEPHEN McGURK

From the moment he broke onto the national scene in 1993 with an MVP performance in the U19 Cup final and a couple of buckets in the senior decider, McGurk’s exceptional jumping and handling ability was obvious. He would continue to light up January weekends; the 30 points he scored in the last-second 2000 defeat to Notre Dame remains the most scored by an Irish player in a cup final. That Vincent’s went a 12-year stint without winning a league on his beat counts against him but that they rarely finished outside the top three in that time was a testament to his skill and consistency.
12. MICHAEL BREE

One of the best underage players this country has known — so good, the kid from Sligo would win a scholarship to Davidson College where he’d be their MVP in his senior year. He’d go on to lead the Swedish league and German second division in assist and steals. With his speed and handling, won 35 caps with the national team at a time native players rarely saw the floor, Bree was exceptional.
11. GARETH MAGUIRE

Another who cut it at international level. At 6’4’’ he was able to leap and help out on the boards yet he could stroke down three-pointers. That he never added a cup to go with his couple of leagues and three Top Fours could be held against him, but invariably Maguire performed for Star in all those cup weekends.
10. KARL DONNELLY

In 1989, Pat Boylan would go all Jack Nicklaus by saying already a teenaged Donnelly was playing a game he was unfamiliar with, such was his American-style handle, athleticism and scoring power. Vincent’s might not have won as much as he would have expected throughout the 1990s and beyond but Donnelly was a central reason as to why they were always thereabouts.
9. TOM WILKINSON

A bit of an Irish Larry Bird: he couldn’t jump that great but he could shoot, score, rebound and above all win. Possibly the most consistent Irish player from 1977 to 1988, and probably its best big-game player; he’d knock down 20 points in the historic 1983 Roy Curtis tournament win over Murray Metals. When you think of why Demons won everything in 1980 and Neptune would win most leagues after that for the next dozen years, Wilkinson is a big part.
8. ADRIAN FULTON

Probably the best pure point guard this country has produced, and certainly the best player the north has offered up.
7. SHANE COUGHLAN

Back nearly 20 years ago when he was still a juvenile player, Shane said he was uncomfortable with me noting in print the similarities between his game and Penny Hardaway’s. Well, he’s lasted longer than Penny anyway. With his vision, handling and back-to-basket moves he has to go down as the best player never to play full senior international basketball for Ireland.
6. PADDY KELLY

Possibly the best defensive player on this list, yet one of its best scorers too, from when he broke onto the scene in the late 90s contesting three U19 cup finals to scoring 28 points in the 2011 Superleague final win. The Killester man is probably the best player Dublin has produced.
5. PAUDIE O’CONNOR

The Kerryman who shook it all up. Not just by bringing in the Americans in ’79 but by being able to hang with them. Paudie was 6’4. Everyone else that height in the ‘70s played centre. He played point guard.
4. STEPHEN McCARTHY

It was 25 years ago this weekend that a scrawny, spotty teenager would come off the bench for a stacked Neptune team and go on to be their highest scorer and MVP in a cup final. He’d broaden out after that but he’d use that along with his incredible court sense and handle to uphold Neptune’s winning tradition.
3. TOM O’SULLIVAN

The best pure jump shooter the league has seen. No Irish player has scored more in cup semi- finals and finals. Throw in the seven leagues he won and the fact he did it at international level and O’Sullivan’s place in the top three is justified.
2. COLIN O’REILLY

The best thing about this year’s league or any time he’s played here, given he’s been a pro in England and elsewhere so long. Like most of the best, very, very smart, to the point he’s coaching Demons for a second straight year. Only one other player has so consistently run up such high scores in the league...
1. LIAM McHALE

Still, the king, edging O’Reilly for longevity alone; bear in mind that in 2007 he was still scoring 14 points in the Superleague final at 43 years of age. He maybe didn’t have Colin’s outside game — though he could score out there too — but for his sheer all-round game, toughness, scoring power, leadership and contribution to Irish basketball — transforming a small rural club into consistent contenders and two-time cup and one-time league champions — is legendary.
TOMORROW: Kieran Shannon ranks the top 25 women in Irish basketball

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http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/top-25-irelands-greatest-ever-basketball-players-308366.html

stuba

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?

2old4dacold

read it in the Examiner this morning and enjoyed it. not qualified to give an opinion on the selections myself, but that's what it is, one man's opinion. the main thing is, it's great to see a minority sport get so much coverage, which the Examiner excels at for many minority sports. my first impression opening the page was that this is a proper build-up for Cup final weekend with tomorrow and Saturday still to come

as a country lad myself, Ballina were always my team back in the day, so I was delighted to see Liam McHale on top!