Ireland's basketballers trying to find their feet in Europe

For the week that’s in it, it’s facile to tee up the respective state of two of our national teams advancing on Europe. Alas, the football and basketball experiences diverge as quickly as they begin.

Martin O’Neill and the FAI are back among the big boys, with corporate dollars sloshing around their feet after qualifying for next summer’s European Championships. Basketball Ireland’s revived international effort is finding its way in FIBA’s Europe Cup and getting a few black eyes for their troubles. Three trips to the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Denmark for the Colin O’Reilly-coached Hibernia outfit have produced lots in the way of education, but thumping defeats each time.

Tonight the Superleague selection play their first pool game at home in Dublin against Denmark’s Bakken Bears at the National Arena. Beaten 96-60 in Scandinavia at the tail end of last month, tonight will provide a reliable barometer of how quickly O’Reilly and his players are learning. It should be instructive (tip off, 7.30pm).