European Championship team has to plan without NBA’s Burke
Burke had to return to his new NBA team the Phoenix Suns last Monday after the Slovakian game and has since not been released.
“It is very disappointing for us but especially for him, if there was any way he could be here on Saturday he would, but it is up to the Suns,” Ireland head coach Gerry Fitzpatrick said. “There is a possibility he may be released for the Denmark away game on the 24th but we will not know until next week.”
The Irish team will continue with 11 players and Fitzpatrick will now be looking to the likes of Cal Bowdler to shine following a relatively quiet international season so far.
“I can’t say whether or not we will beat Denmark on Saturday but we have been working very hard. The key thing for us is to look at getting the result we need at home so that we do not dig a hole for ourselves for Denmark,” Fitzpatrick said.
“Its like a UEFA Cup game, it’s a big final with a big prize up for grabs but it is only going to be half time really after Saturday’s game so we need to keep that in perspective.”
Although tickets are still on sale, the National Basketball Arena is expected to be a sell-out and preceding the men at 1.30pm, Ireland’s senior women basketball team will have some new faces on court when they open their European Championships campaign against Sweden.
The women are tying up their preparations at a training camp in Limerick without former WNBA player Susan Moran, Siobhan Kilkenny and the retired Suzanne Maguire.
Work commitments with US colleges have put paid to both Moran and Kilkenny’s participation.
Moran will miss the entire year due to her job as assistant coach to the women’s Hawks at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia and Ireland coach Ger Tarrant said: “She is devastated that she cannot join the squad this year but did everything she could to make it this weekend.”
Former Manhattan College star guard Kilkenny is coaching in New York while Maguire has bowed out of international basketball. “She is a big loss but Suzanne has a full-time job and it is hard for those players to get the time off come September,” Tarrant said.
Despite the trio’s absence, Tarrant has some strong additions to the team this year, including Jillian Aherne, who returns to the squad after a year-long absence due to injury. “She is a big influence and a born leader,” he said.
Also back is Denise Walsh, home in Ireland after spending two years travelling in Australia, and UL’s Sinead Leahy, who missed last year with a cruciate injury.
Irish-born Canadian Lynda Guy rejoins the Ireland women after playing professionally in Germany last season and will be a great addition as will fellow World University Games team-mates Kate Maher and Niamh Dwyer.
Having lost to Sweden last year by 25 points (87-62) Ireland have a big deficit to make up in order to qualify for the next round of play-offs. The women will then face two away games, Estonia on the 20th and Luxembourg on the 23rd, teams Ireland beat significantly last year in the first leg, Estonia 93-71, Luxembourg 90-49.
: 4 M Aspell 5 J Aherne 6 D Walsh 7 N Dwyer 8 C Kissane 9 M Fahy 10 L Guy 11 Maureen Garvey 12 G Dwyer 13 S Leahy 14 C Nixon 15 K Maher.
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