Men’s showpiece is now an international event
THE changing face of the Superleague can be glimpsed in tonight’s novel Pat Duffy Cup final at the National Basketball Arena. Both the University of Galway Maree and DBS Éanna are looking to lift the trophy for the first time but, more than that, both outfits have a cosmopolitan feel.
Where once the National Cup finals weekend was the preserve of a mostly Irish playing base with the odd American thrown into the mix, this evening’s final will see Croats, Serbs, Ukrainians, Spaniards and even a British player on the floor at some point — as well as the usual Irish and Americans.
Stefan Desnica exemplifies how the Superleague has broadened its horizons. The 6’7” forward is from Temerin, a small town in Serbia, and by dint of his sporting talent he got a scholarship to San Gabriel Academy in California before playing college basketball with Black Hills University.
It was quite a coup for DBS Éanna when they signed Desnica last season. However, his first year with the Rathfarnham club only lasted two games before he suffered an ACL injury. But he has been determined to make up for lost time this season and has been key in their charge to tonight’s final. Darren McGovern’s team have had a difficult route to the final, knocking out defending champions Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 85-79 in the first round and Energywise Neptune 97-93 in the quarters, before beating Emporium Cork 77-71 in a tense semi-final.
Desnica has pinpointed the significance of that first round win in Kerry for paving the way ahead. ‘It helped us realise how good we can be if we stick together and implement the plan our coaches have for us in each game,’ he said.
‘We are excited to be in this spot now and I think it will be a great game.’
University of Galway Maree have been one of the stories of the season. They have been impressive on the route here, averaging a winning margin of 14 points a game, taking out the likes of Belfast Star and St Vincent’s.
Head coach Charlie Crowley has done an excellent job in building this team, but he is hoping that his players can treat the occasion like just another game.
‘We are trying our best to treat this as a regular game. We have a great group here that have put in the work and it is rewarding for them to be in this position.
‘It is just about channelling that in the right way.
‘We are going into the game as underdogs but there is 100 per cent confidence in the team that we can get the result that we want,’ Crowley said.