Preview: Men's Super League Week 4

Early Men’s Super League pace-setters Garvey’s Tralee Warriors and Griffith College Éanna have the chance to extend their unbeaten run to six games during the second double game weekend of the season.

The Tralee Sports Complex has become a fortress for Warriors in recent seasons and they begin a run of three successive home ties against Energywise Ireland Neptune on Friday evening, before Belfast Star end a two-day trip to Kerry at the Complex on basketballireland.tv. Marquavian Stephens has been all energy thus far and with Irish international Rapolas Buivydas hitting form ahead the upcoming international window in November, Neptune will be up against it to rebound from their first loss of the season going on the road. 

Griffith College Éanna’s winning streak now stands at 15 games following their win over Flexachem KCYMS in week three. That run extends back to a 110-91 defeat to Killester last January and it’s they’ll be aiming to avoid lightening striking twice at Coláiste Éanna in Friday night’s other Men’s Super League fixture. Their opponents ground out a win on the road in Sligo a week ago and will enter the contest looking to avenge April’s Men’s Super League final defeat at the National Basketball Arena.

Flexachem KCYMS have Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU and Maree BC breathing down their necks for third place as they eye up fixtures against Belfast Star and Killester during the Bank Holiday weekend. Jordan Blount is averaging a double-double for the Kerry side in a blistering start to the season by the Irish international.  

Eight teams will make the post-season playoffs at the conclusion of the regular season and with Belfast Star and Templeogue getting off the mark in week three, it’s imperative that Dublin duo Bright St. Vincent’s and UCD Marian avoid the unenviable tag of being the last team in the league without a win.

UCD Marian host Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU on Saturday, before a Dublin derby away to Templeogue Monday afternoon. Jonathan Jean continues to be a spark for them offensively, but he will have to get some help in order to get them off the mark. For Bright St. Vincent’s a trip to Sligo seems their most likely opportunity to pick up points on a weekend where they also face a road trip to Galway to face Maree BC.

Templeogue boss Mark Keenan expressed his delight after his side came from behind to beat Energywise Ireland Neptune in Cork last weekend. Immanuel Allen and Tavias Fagan sit first and second in the scoring charts in the Men’s Super League and they look to build on that momentum with successive Dublin derbies. Two wins from two could see them leap as high as sixth in the table should other results go their way.  

Elsewhere, EJ Sligo All-Stars are in 11^th with a game in hand on the majority of the league. They take on old foes UCC Demons in their opening game of the weekend in the Mardyke Arena. Tom Child returned from his one game absence at the point in their 87-80 loss to Killester, but there are plenty of positives for head coach Shane O’Meara as his new look side continue to gel. Their opponents sit 7^th in the standings after they came up short against Belfast Star in overtime following a Max Richardson three at the end of regulation.  The matchup between Elijah Tillman and John Carroll will be worth the admission fee alone.

Men's Super League 24-25