National Cup

Oct 31 2024

Preview: National Cup fever is back

Defending champions UCC Demons rolled back the years when they captured the Pat Duffy National Cup at the National Basketball Arena back in January, defeating Irish Guide Dogs Ballincolling @MTU 82-62 following a run in which they beat the 2022/23 winners Maree BC, Men's Super League leaders at the timein Belfast Star and old rivals Energywise Ireland Neptune in overtime in the final four.

They start their first National Cup defence since the 2015/16 season at home to last season's Presidents' Cup winners UCD Marian.

UCC Demons v UCD Marian, Saturday, 1600, Neptune Stadium

UCC Demons journey to cup glory came from a similar start to their league season a year ago. Demons currently sit in 10th place in the Men's Super League, one position behind their opponents with a 2-3 record through the first five games. Incidentially, they are 2-0 against teams from the capital in the Men's Super League, with one of those wins coming against UCD Marian, a 94-89 win in week two.

Sean Clancey and Elijah Tillman caused headaches for Marian head coach Ioannis Liapakis on that occasion, combining for 62 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as UCC Demons shot 45% (9/20) from beyond the arc as a team. UCD Marian could only manage 31% (9/29) despite putting up nine more attempts from that range on the day. Lovre Tvrdic topped their box score on that occassion with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

UCD Marian got their season back on track during the Bank Holiday weekend, picking up vital wins over Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU and Templeogue in the space of 48 hours. Tanner Graham went off from three in that Dublin derby, making five of his seven attempts (71%), in a game where talisman Jonathan Jean left the game early. His fitness will be vital to their chances of pulling off a National Cup upset.

In a rare meeting of the previous season's two cup winners, the Dubliners will be looking to channel the form which brought them Presidents' Cup silverware as part of their double winning campaign. There was jubilant scenes in the stands at the National Basketball Arena following their 91-78 success against Limerick Sport Eagles last January.

Templeogue BC v Energywise Ireland Neptune, Saturday, 1900, National Basketball Arena

Energywise Ireland Neptune will travel to Dublin on Saturday evening looking to exact revenge on Templeogue for handing them their first loss of the Men's Super League season in Cork two weeks ago. Templeogue's Immanuel Allen put the league on notice with a 42 point haul on that occassion, with 13 of those coming in the final quarter.

That is Templeogue's only win of the season to date with a young core, but they hadn't been far away at home to Maree (77-79) on the opening weekend or away in Killorglin two weeks later (93-85). What will be of concern is that they are averaging just 78.2ppg, which is the second fewest in the league behind Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU and their two Americans, Allen and Tavais Fagan have scored 70% of their points in the Men's Super League this season. UCD Marian gave the blueprint for shutting that duo down last weekend, so Mark Keenan will have to figure out how to stop lightening striking twice in this cup tie.

Pat Price put an end to a two game skid from Neptune with a 91-82 victory over Griffith College Éanna ahead of an attempt at going one better than their run to the semi-finals last season. Ar'mond Davis has been impressive since his introduction to the league and his partnership with Jahmal Wright and veteren Nil Sabata has been developing nicely at Neptune Stadium. Defensively they are allowing the fifth most points per game in the league (86.8) though and they will need to tighten up on that end of the floor if they are to bring a first Pat Duffy National Cup to the club since 2013.

UCC Demons Scott Hannigan, David Lehane and James Hannigan pose with the Pat Duffy National Cup in Cork.

Bright St. Vincent's v EJ Sligo All-Stars, Saturday, 1900, St.Vincent’s Glasnevin

These two teams last met in the Pat Duffy National Cup two years ago at this venue, with Donovan Fields scoring 37 points in a 94-75 win for the home side. Neither have a particularly strong recent record in the competition either - that was Bright St. Vincent's last victory - while EJ Sligo All-Stars haven't won a tie since returning to the top tier in 2022.

Contests between the clubs are always nip and tuck, with the last four meetings decided by 10 points or fewer, including last weekend's clash at the Mercy College in Sligo town. EJ Sligo All-Stars head coach Shane O'Meara will look back on that defeat with some regret having seen his side lead by as much as 20 points in the second quarter and 14 points with less than six minutes on the clock. Jevionne Scott, Jonathan Brown and John Carroll have become more efficent as the Men's Super League season progresses and should take another step forward this weekend with Tom Child running the point once more.

Bright St. Vincent's will want to give their home supporters something to cheer about in Glasnevin. They haven't won a game at home since beating Ulster University 79-75 in November 2023, a stretch of eight games. Jaron Thames and Samuel Henderson have been the catalysts for the North Dublin side in recent weeks, while Charlie Coombes is also on form, averaging 17 points in the last two games against Maree and Sligo.

Griffith College Éanna v Belfast Star, Saturday, 1900, Coláiste Éanna

This will be a repeat of their first round meeting a year ago in which Belfast Star went into Coláiste Éanna and knocked off the 2022/23 runners up. Star won't have leading scorer from that occassion De Ondre Jackson, but Irish international Conor Quinn has a strong shooting resume in that particular gym. Quinn - who is shooting 37% from three so far in the Men's Super League, has shot 60% from downtown over the course of his last three visits to Rathfarnham.

Belfast Star steadied the ship in the build-up to this cup tie, recovering from an 0-2 start to the league season with back-to-back wins over UCC Demons in overtime and on the road in Kerry against Flexachem KCYMS. That stretch came to an abrupt halt when they played the red hot Garvey's Tralee Warriors on Monday, but playing on successive days following a 477km trip to the Kingdom is no easy task for any team. Maurice Jones appears to be finding his feet alongside Tamyrik Fields, Max Richardson and company at the right time as they begin their bid to bring the Pat Duffy Cup to Belfast for the first time.

It was a difficult double game weekend for the defending Men's Super League champions as they came up short against Killester and Energywise Ireland Neptune, ending an unbeaten streak that stretched back 10 months. They were without Stefan Desnica for those games though and his return for the first round of the National Cup - he's averaging almost 14 points-per-game - should bring them back to the level they were at during that 3-0 run. Sean Jenkins was back to something approaching his best in that defeat to Neptune and with another week of training and the final game before an international break, he will be out to show that he has an important role to play in Ireland's upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers.