Domino's Men's Super League Week One Preview

The Domino’s Men’s Super League shoots back into action this weekend with rivalry fixtures that ensure a blockbuster start to the season.

It begins on Friday night in Cork where UCC Demons host local rivals Energywise Ireland Neptune at Mardyke Arena in a rematch of the heated battle from last year’s Domino’s Men’s Super League Playoffs.

There’s an early battle for supremacy in Kerry also where Flexachem KCYMS and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors face-off, while newly promoted Limerick Celtics welcome Ballincollig BC to the Treaty County for their first taste of top-level basketball.

Dublin derbies between Bright St. Vincent’s and last year’s beaten finalists Killester on the Northside and UCD Marian and Griffith College Éanna on the South side of the Liffey, along with the meeting of Belfast Star and Ejs Sligo All-Stars at Newforge ensure no game will be easy to predict to start the season.

UCC Demons v Energywise Ireland Neptune, Friday 8pm

The last time these historic rivals met was in the first round of the Domino’s Men’s Super League post-season in March, but it is a very new look Neptune that’ll make the short journey to Mardyke on Friday night.

Keith Daly is in as head coach, joining from Catalyst Fr.Mathews while four signings come in - Eli Lenihan, Eoin Nelson, Cameron Zyon Dobbs and Cameron Glover. Losing Roy Downey is a huge blow for Daly, but he’ll hope a promising U20 group from the last couple of seasons will elevate themselves quite quickly. 

UCC Demons took the spoils in all three league meetings between the sides a year ago, a fact the Energywise Ireland Neptune contingent will be eager to alter.

The defending champions have looked sharp during the pre-season, racking up impressive scores against some of their Domino’s Men’s Super League counterparts. Sharif Black looks a good pick-up at guard, while Live Kivuvu and Zach Hinton will look to fill the hole left in the front court by Elijah Tillman’s departure. 

Belfast Star v EJ Sligo All-Stars, Saturday, 6:30pm

The news of CJ Fulton’s move to the Minnesota Timberwolves development system has given a timely boost to Belfast basketball, as his father Adrian returns to the helm at Star.

A tumultuous season a year ago saw the 2019/20 champions miss the playoffs following an 11-13 finish, but they’ve bolstered their ranks with one of the big Irish transfers of the off-season, picking up Rapolas Buivydas from Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. His addition along with Shane Bell and RJ Wilson, as well as retaining Max Richardson, should put Star right back in contention at the sharp end of the season.

EJ Sligo All-Stars have also been busy, recruiting no fewer than six players, as well as bringing back Irish international John Carroll. Tom Child departs after three seasons, though former Ireland U20 captain Elijah Faapito comes in to run the offense. Joe Mvuezolo is a proven quantity in the league, while Ja’zere Noel has had a couple of impressive games in the pre-season. 

Limerick Celtics v Ballincollig BC, Saturday, 7pm

The moment has arrived for Limerick Celtics in the top tier of Irish basketball following an emotional win in the Domino’s Men’s Division One final in April. Head coach Tony Hehir has effectively elected to run it back with a very similar squad to the one which won the double last season.

If AJ Williams can transfer his form from Domino’s Division One to the higher level, he will be one to watch throughout the season. Abdul Wurie also returns, while local guard Ruairi Cronin returns following the conclusion of his collegiate career in the United States. Chima Obikwelu and Sean Ryan are the only two absentees from last year’s squad, moving to Drogehda Wolves and Limerick Sport Eagles respectively. 

Ballincollig – back under the leadership of the man who led them to the title three seasons ago – Ciaran O’Sullivan, will prove a good benchmark for Celtics on the opening weekend. The Cork side only won one of their last seven games last season and exited the playoffs in the first round to Killester. Latrell Jossell and Latavious Mitchell appear dynamic additions while Josh Steel brings good experience from the British Basketball League. 

UCD Marian v Griffith College Éanna, Saturday, 7pm

UCD Marian proved the surprise package of 2025, narrowly missing out on a home playoff game following their promotion. Jon Jean will not be back for a third season, but head coach Ioannis Liapakis has picked up several solid young Irish players to deal with the new Domino’s Men’s Super League quota of Irish players on the floor.

Sean Fitzpatrick, Jack Kehoe and Sean O’Flynn have all good experience at youth international level and will provide depth, while Joshua Reynolds has earned his chance at this level following spells with Limerick Celtics and Tipp Talons in previous seasons. 

Gareth Winders takes the reigns of 2023/24 champions Griffith College Éanna, who are another team which will have plenty of new faces this season. Long serving Josh Wilson moves to the Northside to join Killester, while Tyland Crawford also departs after just one season.

Mikah Blackwell comes in as a heavy scorer from St. Paul’s but keeping hold of Sean Jenkins might be their best off-season move. Winders – who takes over from Ireland men’s 3x3 coach Darren McGovern – will be expected to bring through some of the young players who have been so successful at schools and National Cup level in recent seasons.

Flexachem KCYMS v Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, Saturday, 7:15pm 

It will have been disappointing to supporters in Killorglin that Flexachem KCYMS missed the post-season following last year’s 3-0 start, but they’ve a great to get early bragging rights for Kerry on Saturday night.

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors won both meetings between the teams in the regular season a year ago, but by an aggregate of just nine points and both games were back and forth in the closing stages, so this figures to be another close contest given the make-up of both rosters.

Jordan Blount will always been the first name people look to in Killorglin while he’s there, but they’ve picked up some solid contributors in Emiliyan Grudov and Patrick Lanipekun from Moy Tolka Rovers and Carrick Cruisers respectively. American Cameron Franklin is an unknown quantity, but 32-year-old Rami Ghanem brings plenty of experience to the table from his time in Sweden.

Tralee have two fresh Americans, but have lost a big piece in the aforementioned Rapolas Buivydas, as well as Ryan Leonard, who has been a solid contributor since returning from injury. Captain Eoin Quigley is back, however there’s a younger core filling out the roster this season and they’ll need to adjust quickly if the Kerry side are to match last season’s semi-final performance. 

They were 11 seconds away from reaching the decider and the expectation will be a similar run again for head coach John Dowling despite the fluctuation in the roster. 

St. Vincent’s BC v Killester BC, Saturday, 7:30pm 

St. Vincent’s narrowly avoided the Domino’s Men’s Super League trapdoor last season and they couldn’t have been given a much tougher start, with last season’s Pat Duffy Cup champions and Domino’s Men’s Super League runners-up arriving to Galsnevin.

Killester have lost both Kason Harrell and Isiah Dasher, with Harrell in particular coming as a big loss given his presence as an emotional leader of the group. Josh Wilson comes across from Éanna to rotate at the point, but 6’7 forward Robert Braswell, who enjoyed seven years of NCAA eligibility, has big shoes to fill in more ways than one. An interesting addition to the staff sees Karl Kilbride joining as an assistant after his departure from FloMAX Liffey Celtics in the Domino’s Women’s Super League.

James Phelan and Liam Kinsella comes across from ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers to add depth to St. Vincent’s Irish contingent, while Londoner Daniel Ogoro and Polish recruit Adam Lisewski, another 6’7 talent – figure to bring more of an edge to the roster this season. Head coach Michael Olson is also a new figure to Domino’s Men’s Super League fans, with adds an intriguing element of the unknown to this fixture.

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Full fixture details for the opening weekend of the Domino's Men's Super League can be found here.