All-Stars are ready to rock
THEY’RE back where they belong. Sligo All-Stars Basketball Club have made such encouraging strides in recent years – on and off the court – that the return of the club’s senior men’s team to the top flight of Irish basketball seems like a natural progression.
Last season was dominated by highs for EJ Sligo All-Stars, who are sponsored by EJ Menswear.
They were the best team in the North Conference of the Basketball Ireland InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Division One, runners-up in the Men’s Division One decider and semi-finalists in the President’s National Cup. They lost four times from 19 games in all competitions.
This was only topped by promotion to the InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League for the 2022-23 campaign. Preparations have been diligent for the club’s Super League return – Sligo All-Stars were previously a top-flight club in the early 2000s.
Head coach Shane O’Meara and his assistant, Glen Monaghan, played for the club in the Super League.
Now, two decades on, they are guiding what they hope will be a squad capable of holding its own, beginning with Saturday’s North Conference away fixture against Dublin’s DBS Éanna (tip-off 7pm). This fixture will be livestreamed on basketballireland. tv.
The demands of the ultra-competitive Super League are vast. The club has retained only a handful of the players from the adventure in the second tier.
Jamie Hayes, one of last year’s professional players, was re-signed, and the three other pros for the upcoming campaign are Tom Child, Greg Poleon
Tom
Child, Greg Poleon, Cam King, Oisin O’Reilly, Cian Lally, Jamie Hayes,
Andy McGeever, Sean Snee, Joseph Coughlan, Aidan O’Shea, Josh Henry, Ryan Young, Mark Chambers, Aidan Lockhart
Coaches: Shane O’Meara (head coach), Glen Monaghan (assistant coach)
and Cam King. From within the domestic scene, Sligo All-Stars have recruited Joseph Coughlan, Aidan Lockhart and Andy McGeever. Mayo GAA star Aidan O’Shea is also on the roster.
The local contingent is led by stars Oisin O’Reilly and Cian Lally, who will miss this weekend’s Super League start due to his GAA duties with Drumcliffe-Rosses Point in the Homeland Senior Football Championship semi-final.
Last weekend EJ Sligo All-Stars were finalists in a pre-season tournament in Carlow – one of the teams they played was DBS Éanna, their opponents this Saturday.
For the Super League, players have be stronger, taller, faster and more skilful. There is also a greater speed of thought required and a more intense technique required.
Head coach O’Meara said: “The Super League is a lot more physical. We had to rebuild the panel because we want to be competitive at this level. “We’ve brought in players but we will be also looking to build up our pool of local talent in the coming seasons.
“It is all about making the product better for our fans – the senior men’s team puts us up in the shop window,
FOCUS: Shane O’Meara, head coach of the EJ Sligo All-Stars senior men’s team, is looking forward to the upcoming season in the Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League. in terms of exposure, getting support and sponsors.
“This will also attract young kids to the game of basketball. We expect the Mercy College gym to be jam-packed for our home games this season. Our club membership has also grown.” He continued: “I’d like to think that we’ll be quite competitive this season – the players that we’ve brought in have fantastic character, they’ve bought in to what we’re trying to do.
“I think these guys can play ‘smarter’ basketball and that we can improve as the season goes on. The Super League is full of elite athletes.”
EJ Sligo All-Stars’ first home fixture is on Saturday week when they host Dublin’s UCD Marian (tip-off 7.30pm). Meanwhile, the sad and unexpected passing of John McGowan – Sligo’s Mr Basketball – and his son, Sean, hit the club hard. O’Meara was coached by John and was a team-mate of Sean. O’Meara stated: “Stuff that myself and Glen [Monaghan] learned from John and Gerry [Monaghan] is still very much practical in the modern game. People like John McGowan left a huge mark at Sligo All-Stars and only for them the club wouldn’t be there.”
Meanwhile, in the InsureMyHouse. ie Pat Duffy National Cup, the draw for which was made on Tuesday evening, EJ Sligo All-Stars were drawn away to Bright St Vincent’s (Dublin) in the competition’s first round.
NEW SEASON: Sligo All-Stars player Greg Poleon, one of the team’s new signings, at the launch of the InsureMyVan.ie Super League.