Conor Meany Talking Points: New season, new rule - teams must field two Irish players at all times
NEW SEASON: In the Men’s League, defending champions UCC Demons look like the consensus favourite. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Basketball is almost back, with defending champions UCC Demons kicking off the new season against their fiercest rivals Neptune, on Friday. This year’s Men’s Super League will have 12 teams (down from 13 last year) with just one team getting relegated at the end of the season. In the Women’s League there will be ten teams with one team due to be relegated. Both leagues will have a regular season winner, but the main league trophy will be available after an eight-team playoff in March. 80% of the teams qualifying for the playoffs in the women’s league is probably too many, although St Paul’s reached the final last year from the eighth seed which is the argument for maintaining the current format.
The big change, that will impact the men’s league, is that teams this year need to always field two ‘Irish’ players on the floor. To be deemed ‘Irish’ a player must have an Irish passport and be an Irish citizen and they must have completed at least two years of education between the ages of 12-18 in a FIBA Europe-developed country. This means Irish Americans won’t count, but EU players with an Irish passport will still qualify as Irish. The rule is contentious, with some feeling it will dilute the talent of the league. I personally agree with the rule. Clubs need an incentive to develop Irish talent and this is a route to doing that. I also would rather see fewer (better quality) import players. It won’t affect the top teams from last season, who have enough Irish talent, but it may impact the middle/bottom of the league. Whether the application of the rule achieves the goal of focusing on Irish developed talent is another thing. Initially it has probably just placed a premium on players with access to an Irish passport.
A big thing the new rules have led to is mass movement of Irish players. Players are moving all over the country and they include big names too. Rapolas Buivydas has gone as far as possible from Tralee and found a new home in Belfast, Ryan Leonard has moved to Limerick to play in the National League, Eoin Nelson has gone from Dublin to Cork and a number of National League players have also found a new home in the Super League - including Jack Kehoe at UCD Marian and Elijah Faapito to Sligo.
In the women’s league there has been plenty of movement with Hazel Finn the biggest name moving from Liffey Celtics to Meteors. The big question is whether this reshuffling is a one-year anomaly triggered by the new rules, or a sign of a new normal in Irish basketball. Incredibly, in the men’s Super League there are fewer than eight players in the league that are over 25 years of age, that have played their entire adult career with one club. I might have rose-tinted glasses after an entire career with one club, but it’s an issue for me that so few players stay with one club for their full career.
League sponsor Dominos took over the league’s naming rights mid-way through last season, and this is their one full season on an 18-month deal. Irish basketball needs an active big-name sponsor to elevate the league, so all eyes will be on what involvement Dominos has this year. Interestingly Dominos didn’t mention the league once on their X account after last February’s launch. Not even the league deciders on television were worth a mention. Hopefully this year will see a lot more activity and promotion. Basketball Ireland has been doing some good work recently with sponsors. JYSK, in particular, have been willing to show public support. Hopefully, Dominos follow suit.
Who is going to win it all? In the Men’s League, defending champions UCC Demons look like the consensus favourite. They have the most settled Irish group, and new American point guard Sharif Black looks like a top-class prospect. The question we will get an answer to is just how big an influence Elijah Tillman has been over the past two years. When the big man arrived into Cork, Demons’ fortunes changed immediately and never looked back. Without his dominating presence, will they be the same team? The other factor Demons will have to overcome is that no men’s team has defended the title since they did it a decade ago. Only five teams have defended the title since the early 90s, and in the last decade seven different clubs have won the title. It will take a major effort for Demons to defend the crown, especially with so many potential contenders, but they have the team to do it.
Killester are the team that have come closest in recent years without winning, and they will be smarting that they’ve had to wait over ten years for a league title. Paul Dick is back, and new signing Robert Braswell looks the real deal. Whether Josh Wilson fits alongside Dick and Ciaran Roe will be interesting to watch, although I fully expect them to be in contention when it matters. Star have made big moves and with Adrian Fulton back on the sideline and a solid Irish core, they should be back near the top. Elsewhere there’s huge volatility and a lot of unknowns. Sligo may have signed the most talent, but how they fit together is a big question, while Eanna have to replace Mark Reynolds’ veteran production, which won’t be easy. It should be like last year with one of six or seven capable of winning the title.
The women’s league has had much more consistency than the men’s with three different clubs winning back-to-back titles in the past decade. Like waiting for a bus, Killester waited 40 years for a title and then had two in quick succession. They go for three in a row, with their veteran core returning to make it possible. They were dominant in the past two finals, and have a group that know how to deliver. Whether they can match the hunger of the chasing pack will be the big question. Given that they don’t have to do it all year round and can prime themselves for the playoffs, they will be serious contenders in March.
The chasing pack in the women’s league is fascinating. Brunell were almost there two years ago until Edel Thornton got injured. While she was out, their young Irish talent built experience and are even more ready to support their star now. It would be a defining moment for the club if they can reach the top, and they have the pieces to do so, especially with American Maddi Cluse coming in with a big reputation from Clemson University. Wildcats are the other team that will be hoping to take the next step. They were the best team for most of last year and then were shocked in the playoffs by St Paul’s. The Hickeys are stars and if the supporting cast and Americans are right this year, they’ll have a great shot. Liffey Celtics are the other big player at the top. With a new coach and a change in some key personnel, it will be interesting to see how they evolve this year. Katie Williamson has great potential and if she settles back quickly after time in America, it will be a huge boost.
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