Domino's Men's Super League Week Two Preview

Limerick Eagles head coach says it will be the ‘most experienced team against the least experienced team’ in the Domino’s Men’s Super League this weekend as they look ahead to a crucial home fixture against defending champions Ballincollig. 

Newly promoted Limerick Eagles impressed the league with a monstrous opening day win against St. Vincent’s, leaving them top of the Domino’s Men’s Super League, and they take on the defending champions Ballincollig in round two. The UL Arena will play host to the Munster derby, as head coaches Niall McDermott and Ciaran O’Sullivan look to extend their winning streak.  

Belfast Star and St. Vincent’s will look for redemption after losses in gameweek one for both sides. Energywise Ireland Neptune seek recovery from an opening day loss, as they face Limerick Celtics, who are coming off the back of a narrow defeat to Ballincollig. 

Griffith College Éanna will host Garvey's Tralee Warriors at Coláiste Éanna on Saturday evening and Killester take on UCD Marian in an all-Dublin derby. UCC Demons make the multi-county commute to EJ Sligo All-Stars, as Stuart Rodgers looks to continue his perfect start as head coach.  

Belfast Star v St Vincent’s, Saturday 16:30

Defeats for Belfast Star and St. Vincent’s in round one of the Domino’s MSL leaves the teams eager to make amends in week two. Star took an 18-point lead in the opening quarter against Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, but their third quarter collapse helped Tralee flip the script and ultimately win 82-73.  

St. Vincent’s on the other hand lost to newly promoted Limerick Eagles, who ran away 78-117 winners on the road. Almost a third of the St. Vincent’s points came through Lawrence Slim, while Scott Stone, Kingsley Nwagboso and James Phelan made up a large portion of the remaining scores. 

Both teams took a win in the 25/26 campaign, with Vincent’s taking game one by 93-86 and Star winning the next outing 85-79. Belfast Star’s Shane Bell, who averaged over 17 points-per-game last year, opened his account with a double-double on the weekend, while Irish international Rapolas Buivydas stood out with a 14-point game. 

Energywise Ireland Neptune v Limerick Celtics, Saturday 18:30 

Neptune Stadium sees the return of Domino’s MSL action this weekend, as Energywise Ireland Neptune host Limerick Celtics. Neptune were on the wrong side of a 105-93 scoreline against UCD Marian in round one, as Adam Drummond’s side take a 0-1 record in gameweek two. New signings Jaylen Hodge and Kendall Taylor showed promising signs in their introduction to Irish basketball, and Sean McCarthy returned to Neptune with a 17-point game following his stint in the USA and Iceland. 

Limerick Celtics took the game to Ballincollig last weekend, only losing by two-points in a thrilling contest. Tony Hehir’s side had some standout performances against the reigning champions, with Tiras Morton picking up 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Peter Turay grabbing a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. 

Celtics went two for two against Neptune last year, winning a tightly contested 75-73 game in round five before winning 93-105 in the latter stage of the season. Drummond has taken over as head coach of Energywise Ireland Neptune, following their disappointing 12th place finish in the 25/26 regular season, as he hopes to get the Cork side back to winning ways in round two. 

Griffith College Éanna v Garvey's Tralee Warriors, Saturday 19:00 

Griffth College Éanna take on the in-form Garvey’s Tralee Warriors this weekend, as only one position separated the sides last year. Tralee Warriors won the first contest 90-84 at home, only for Éanna to run away 92-66 winners in the following fixture. 

Gareth Winder’s side lost 100-83 in the opening round to UCC Demons, after leading the game in the early stages. Morgan Taylor announced himself to the league against UCC Demons, scoring 19 points and going 80% from inside the arc, while Manou Christal landed 16 points and ten rebounds. 

Jayden Daughtry led Tralee Warriors to their opening win against Belfast Star, scoring 26 points on his National League debut. Alec Millender also proved his importance to Gareth Moore’s squad with a 13-point game, as he looks to push Tralee Warriors to their first win on the road. 

Limerick Eagles v Ballincollig, Saturday 19:00 

Niall McDermott’s Limerick Eagles got off to a flying start in their opening contest against St. Vincent’s, securing a statement 39-point win, whereas Ballincollig scraped a 68-70 win over their neighbours Limerick Celtics. Alex Carlisle and Darragh Horkan combined for 55 points, while Tobias Christensen racked up eight rebounds for his side. 

“The important thing was to get off to a good start and get a win, and so the performance was just a bonus on top of that. I was really impressed by how our Irish guys stepped up and contributed – it’s a first Super League game for a lot of them,” said McDermott. “We have an extremely tough task this weekend in playing the current double champions. It’s probably the most experienced team in the league playing against the least experienced.” 

“They have so many great Irish players who have been around the league for years, and then you have Ciaran O’Sullivan who’s won coach of the year – he's an incredibly hard working coach,” added McDermott.

Ballincollig’s latest signings Jay Buckley and Alex Bellver struck gold in their National League debut, as Buckley racked up 23 points and Bellver picked up 13 points, including three buckets from beyond the arc. Club stalwart and captain Adrian O’Sullivan also hit the ground running, while player-coach Ciaran O’Sullivan got his name on the scoreboard too. 

Killester v UCD Marian, Saturday 19:15 

Mike Olsen got his Killester career off to winning ways, with a 74-70 win against EJ Sligo All-Stars in the Oblate Hall. Olsen has filled his squad with league veterans such as Josh Wilson, Will Thomas, Stefan Desnica and Stephen Cummings, who all have previous experience of winning in the National League.  

UCD Marian took home court advantage against Energywise Ireland Neptune, winning 105-93. Their second quarter scoring blitz put them in a strong position going into the break, giving them a 20-point headstart for the second half. Isaiah Taylor dominated the scoring with a 30-point game, with Tanner Graham picking himself up a double-double in points and rebounds.  

UCD Marian head coach Ioannis Liapakis was full of praise for his squad, as he looks forward to the Dublin derby with Killester. 

“We’re very happy with our performance and the result. The first game of the season is always very tricky and on top of that, we had four injured players and a new American who arrived one week before the game. To be able, under all these circumstances, to win the game and be ahead in the score for all 40 minutes means a lot and the credit goes all to our players,” said Liapakis.“We’re expecting Killester to be an extremely difficult and physical match. To be honest, after many years playing against Killester, it will be the first time not seeing (Mark) Grennell or (Brian) O’Malley on the bench, but other than that we’re expecting exactly what Killester represents - toughness, physicality and experience.” 

“The new coaching staff is very experienced, and they know the league. Their incoming players have played in the Super League before, so they don’t need time to adjust to the league. We’re trying to prepare the best we can and we’re looking forward to it,” added Liapakis. 

EJ Sligo All-Stars v UCC Demons, Saturday 19:30 

EJ Sligo All-Stars and UCC Demons played out one of the highest scoring contests of the 25/26 Domino’s MSL season, with the Connacht side coming away 118-109 winners on home soil. The game seemed to have it all – three players with 30-point games, nine lead changes and three players with double-doubles.  

EJ Sligo All-Stars head coach Henry Wilkins got his first taste of National League basketball against Killester, where his signings Albright Obode, Liam Murphy and Ibbe Klintman made favourable first impressions on the Sligo fans. Ireland U16 MNT player Oliver Ettery has gained the trust of coach Wilkins, as he picked up five points on his Domino’s MSL debut. 

Stuart Rodger’s has begun his career as UCC Demons head coach in winning fashion, taking down Griffith College Éanna on home court. The Elijah Tillman factor proved to be a huge advantage for the Cork side, as the former Domino’s MSL winner grabbed 34 points and 12 rebounds. His fellow signing Asanti Price played his part in the victory, with 20 points and five assists. 

“That was a huge win for us at home against a really tough Éanna team, but credit to our lads for digging in and getting the job done,” said Rodgers. “With a short turnaround for Elijah and a turbulent pre-season, we are adapting well with having the big man back in camp as we prepare for a really hard road trip up west to Sligo. They have a big squad of players ready for a battle, so we will need to up our game again to be in with a chance coming down the stretch.”