BurgerKing add two Americans to squad

BASKETBALL’S ESB Cup champions BurgerKing Limerick will open their defence away to former champions St Vincent’s, now called Irish Travel Partners Saints, next month.

The IBA unveiled a new season with some new names yesterday. The first round of league ties is scheduled for next week.

The women's Superleague, however, gets underway this weekend with three new teams Drimnagh Dynamoes, St Paul's Killarney and Tipperary Talons bringing the number back to a respectable nine. All three newcomers face difficult assignments with Scruffy's St Paul's at home to Bausch & Lomb Wildcats,Tipperary Talons at home to Tolka Rovers and Drimnagh Dynamoes away to Sasha Meteors.

But it was the ESB Cup draws that attracted all the attention yesterday.

BurgerKing Limerick will have two Americans and an Irish/Australian in the squad when they open their

defence of the title. Jermaine Williams is a 6'7" guard/forward from Louisiana SU and Nazareth Henry is a centre from St Thomas Equinas.

They will be joined by Luke O'Hea, an Australian of Irish extraction, who played in the Melbourne Victoria League. They will also introduce Paul Freeman, a 6'6" homegrown forward who played previously with Ballina.

Those are just some of the changes that will be evident over the coming weekend when Neptune stage their annual pre-season tournament in Cork for the Munster clubs and the Vincent's warm-up takes place at Glasnevin.

In Cork, Blue Demons have linked up with UCC at The Mardyke, adding an exciting dimension to the Irish scene. Pat Price will parade foreign player of the year James Singleton, who has moved from Waterford

Crystal, DeWaune Wesley, another 6'6" American, Cory McGee who played with Manchester Giants and Niall O'Reilly who won a Superleague title with Neptune two years ago and has been capped at all levels.

In the ESB Cup, they have a comparatively easy assignment at home to Longnecks Ballina, while Cork neighbours Neptune will launch their cup campaign at home to S x 3 Star.

Martin Aherne will be relieved to have the former player of the year Stephen McCarthy back in the squad along with Gordon Fitzgerald to reform the old fighting combination.

David Langrell from New Zealand, who holds a British passport, made a brief appearance with Neptune last season before leaving for Chester Jets but he has returned to join Kenny Gamble and Charron Watson.

Ger Noonan has left for Killarney while Niall O'Reilly and Brian O'Neill have joined UCC Demons and Colin O'Reilly, the top Irish junior player last season, has taken up a US scholarship.

Waterford Crystal will have the defence of the Superleague title as their priority but they face an easy looking cup assignment against Queens, up from Division One.

Michael Evans will have the services of Padraig Morrissey who returns after five years in the States. He also has Shaun Munro, an Irish/Australian, Patrick Fitzpatrick and Irish American and Americans, Derrick Lyons and Chris Thomas.

Frosties Tigers have lost Ricardo Leonard to injury and time is running out for Anthony Jenkins who is awaiting confirmation of Irish citizenship. An Irish passport would make room for another American at Notre Dame.

The draw for the first round of the ESB Men's Senior Cup is: Dart Killester v Moycullen; Hibernian UCD Marian v Gleneagle Lakers; Mardyke UCC Demons v Longnecks Ballina; TraleeTigers v Delta Notre Dame; Neptune v Sx3 Star; Irish Travel Partner Saints v BurgerKing Limerick; Waterford Crystal v Queens; Team Westaro v Tolka Rovers.

ESB Women's Cup first round: Drimnagh Dynamoes v Dart Killester; Scruffy's St Paul's bye; Tipperary Talons bye; Tolka Rovers v Firhouse Notre Dame; University of Limerick v Sasha

Meteors; Bausch & Lomb Wildcats v Sligo All Stars; Mercy Coolock bye; Longford Falcons v Glanmire.