New Kerry basketball team to compete in National League Division One

KERRY will have a new basketball team competing at national league level in the 2020/21 season after Killarney Cougars were granted a licence by Basketball Ireland’s Men’s National Competitions Committee (MNCC) on Monday.

Kerry Area Bastleball Board (KABB) executive secretary David Ahern confirmed to The Kerryman on Tuesday that Killarney Cougars will compete in the Men’s National League Division 1, having successfully applied for a playing licence. The new team will go up against St Paul’s Scotts Lakers in a Killarney derby when the action resumes in October.

The team will be a version of Team Kerry, an entity that historically drew players from a number of small clubs around the county such as Killarney Cougars, Ballymac Bobcats, Causeway Cobras, Athea Vixens and Corca Dhuibhne - and which has had women’s teams compete nationally, as well as teams taking part in underage national cups and other underage competitions.

Details as to the make up of the playing squad are still unclear, but it’s understood that California native and Killarney resident Justin Tuason, who was player-coach of Killarney Cougars last year, will remain involved in a coaching capacity, with others coming on board. While it’s usual for National League teams to use American and European imports to strengthen their squads, The Kerryman understands that Killarney Cougars will probably operate with an all-Kerry squad of players for the time being.

Home games will take place at the Presentation Gym in Killarney, and the derby against Scotts Lakers is sure to draw a full house, if spectators are allowed under the new Covid-19 regulations put in place by Basketball Ireland.

Part of those new measures sees the Superleague and National Leagues split in two conferences for the season ahead. In the Superleague Soputhern Conference Garvey’s Tralee Warriors and Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin will be joined by Galway clubs Maree and Moycullen, as well as CandS Neptune from Cork and newly promoted Ballincollig.

Defending champions Belfast Star will be in the North Conference, alongside DBS Eanna, UCD Marian, Griffith College Templeogue, Pyrobel Killester and DCU Saints, all from Dublin.

In Division 1 Southern Conference Killarney Cougars and Scott’s Lakers St Pauls will compete with Limerick Celtics, Limerick Sport Eagles, Fr Mathews, WIT Vikings, Portlaoise Panthers and IT Carlow.