Ten years ago he wouldn’t have been home for Christmas. Instead 23-year-old Chris Craig from Arizona was over here, playing with and coaching Kieran Donaghy and the Tralee Tigers. The National Cup semi-finals and final were in January and he had a team to prepare.

In America, basketball’s big men are separated into two distinct categories; guys like Kieran Donaghy who play ‘above the rim’, and guys like me, ‘space-eaters’.

Sixty-nine minutes had passed in the All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Kerry when Michael Darragh Maculey launched himself at a breaking ball in midfield with a move more akin to one seen in basketball.

If you haven’t heard him over the last few weeks, you’ve surely heard of him.

BORD GAIS Neptune coach Pat Price feels it’s time for Basketball Ireland to reexamine the two-conference system which has been operating in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

Reigning treble champions 11890 Killester are set to face Moycullen in their opening game of the season after the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague fixtures were released today.

SUPERLEAGUE clubs may opt to boycott the league play-offs, due to be held in Letterkenny on the weekend of March 28.

A WRETCHED Monday night in November and oddly Tralee is a hive of sporting activity.

NEPTUNE will parade their new American signing for the first time when they travel to Belfast tomorrow to play Star in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

Kieran Donaghy is expected to have a one-match ban confirmed tomorrow for his one-fingered salute towards Mayo fans in last week's Football League clash.

NEPTUNE, with four successive victories that includes a sensational win over DCU Saints in the first round of the cup, face their most serious SuperLeague assignment to date when they host undefeated Tralee Tigers at Neptune Stadium tonight.

Killian Young has forced his way into the Kerry side for Sunday's mouth-watering NFL Division 1A encounter between the Kingdom and Mayo (Castlebar, throw-in 2.30pm).

NEPTUNE coach Saisa Ponosevac is hoping for good news on Gordon Fitzgerald’s recuperation ahead of tonight’s Nivea for Men SuperLeague derby against UCC Demons at The Mardyke Arena.

Limerick Lions 95 Roma St. Vincent’s 92

TRALEE TIGERS are determined to build on their confidence-boosting victory in Limerick last Monday when they travel to UCD tomorrow in week four of basketball’s NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

THEY have the National Cup safely stashed away in Tralee, have topped the Southern Conference, and will be raging hot favourites to retain the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague when they put the title on the line at the Mardyke Arena in Cork this weekend.

Brendan Mooney

Abrakebara Tigers 90 - Roma St Vincent's 81

THE basketballers of Gleneagle Killarney contest a national cup semi-final this weekend for the first time since 1996, but nostalgia addicts must go back to the Eighties for the glory days of basketball in the Kingdom.

NFL and All-Ireland champions Kerry must make their competitive debut of 2005 tomorrow without the services of skipper Declan O’Sullivan.

IRELAND’S basketball teams begin the countdown to European Championship action tonight with the first in a series of friendlies.

Kerry football boss Jack O'Connor has rung the changes to his side ahead of Sunday's NFL date with Mayo.

Kerry's giant full-forward Michael Quirke is a dual star with a difference - and he'll miss Sunday's NFL Division 1A clash with Mayo because of basketball commitments.

Hibernian UCD Marian may have found the form they enjoyed earlier this season following a big 85-69 victory over Dart Killester on Saturday night.

The ESB Senior Men’s and Women’s National Cup, will be reduced to four semi-finalists after the weekend, with eight men’s and eight women’s teams to battle it out for a place in the coveted finals weekend.

CASTLEISLAND waved goodbye to a special kind of sporting madness last night.

Tralee Tigers had little trouble containing Shamrock Rovers, running out for a 103-87 victory in the ESB Men's Superleague today.

Dart Killester came back from a 20-point deficit earlier this week to defeat MDS Star 79-72, but face another tough challenge when they travel to Neptune this weekend.

IT’S been a difficult week for ESB Superleague leaders, Tralee Tigers. Dumped out of the Cup by Neptune eight days ago, they also surrendered their unbeaten league record on Saturday as BurgerKing Limerick claimed a notable scalp with a 100-89 victory.

HORAN’S Health Stores Tigers, Tralee, extended their unbeaten Superleague run to six games with a hard-fought win over Mardyke UCC Demons (74-67) at the Tralee Sports Complex on Saturday night.

The ESB National Cup draw took place in the ESB Arena today, with some daunting ties lined up for the weekend of December 5-7.

Tralee Tigers continued their unbeaten run in the ESB Men's Superleague, defeating Waterford Crystal at home, 86-68.

WITH the new format ESB Superleague scheduled to get underway on October 11, the new basketball season tips off this weekend when the first session of the National Ranking tournament will take place.

Neptune are only two victories away from the Superleague title following their 85-72 victory over Tralee Tigers on Wednesday night.

There has been somewhat of an exodus of professional players from the men's superleague this week, with Notre Dame, UCC Demons and Tralee Tigers forced to deal with the departure of their top players.