From Upton Park to Páirc Uí Chaoimh — that’s the road Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan is beginning this weekend.

UL Eagles were crowned Nivea for Men SuperLeague champions following their impressive win over DCU Saints at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght last night.

AMIR KHAN believes his shocking defeat by Breidis Prescott last September actually boosted his world title chances by turning him “from a boy into a man”.

Amir Khan’s world title shot this month is in doubt after it emerged champion Andreas Kotelnik may have to postpone the fight due to a tooth infection.

Amir Khan took a huge step towards a world title shot with an excellent fifth-round technical decision win over bloodied legend Marco Antonio Barrera.

PHILIP SUTCLIFFE speaks highly of featherweight, Willie “Big Bang” Casey, and last night the Limerick southpaw justified the praise lavished on him by the former European bronze medallist with a second round victory over Calosa Caolho De Jesus from Brazil at the INEC in Killarney.

Although the Americans seem to produce the best TV legal drama, ‘New Street Law, Series 2’ (Acorn; €24.99) is a highly entertaining British alternative.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers claimed their second trophy of the season and what coach Dave Falvey hopes is the second leg of the treble, when they beat Mustang Sallys on Tuesday to clinch the Southern Conference and a place in the semi-finals of the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

KIERAN DONAGHY has decided to give the All-Star tour to Dubai a skip and make himself available for Irish basketball’s showpiece, on Sunday week, when Tralee’s Abrakebabra Tigers will be bidding to wrest the National Cup from UCC Demons.

MERRY MONK BALLINA put the finishing touches to what has been a good first half season with a 94-80 victory over troubled UCD Marian on Saturday night and this keeps them alongside HOOPS at the top of the table.

NEW NEPTUNE coach Sasa Punosevac, will be looking for more of the same when his side entertain his old club, DART Killester, at Neptune Stadium on Sunday.

IT MAY be the first game of the season, but when Neptune and Mardyke UCC Demons launch the new Nivea for Men SuperLeague at Neptune Stadium tonight (8pm), expect fireworks.

COACH Jim Nugent says Davenno Hines will be a key player as Neptune battle for a place in the play-off stages of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

SURPRISE away wins for Gleneagle Lakers and Limerick and the expected victory for Abrakebabra Tigers on Saturday night means that there are four teams from Irish Basketball’s Southern Conference through to the quarter finals of the National Cup, leaving the likes of MDS Star and UCD knocking on the back door for their places.

LIMERICK coach Tom Hehir last night appealed to fans to support them as they celebrated their biggest weekend since winning the National Cup a couple of years ago with back to back SuperLeague victories over Neptune and Waterford Crystal.

FANS may be expecting a mouth watering all Cork final to the ESB Men's National Cup on Sunday but, with the Liam McHale driven Team Merry Monk from Ballina, all out to spoil the party and BurgerKing Limerick with little or nothing to lose, Neptune's Gordon Fitzgerald warned of the danger of a "no Cork" final.

MDS STAR and Dart Killester set the scene for a crunch ESB SuperLeague tie in Dublin on Thursday night with cross-conference victories over Neptune and BurgerKing, respectively, at the 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.

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

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