All eyes will be in Killarney this weekend when the top eight teams of the men's Superleague play-off for the National Tournament title. As part of the season finale, each team in the tournament has entered a player into the National Slam Dunk and National 3-point shoot out competition. After a season of spectacular basketball, Waterford Crystal's James Singleton will be favourite to take the slam-dunk competition with team-mate Mike Keohane sharp enough from the three-point line to champion that title.
The Men's National Tournament tips-off on Friday night with Neptune and St Vincent's in action to retain their place in the tournament. When the teams met earlier in the season, both encounters were close affairs, with home advantage sealing the victory. Neptune's Marcus Wally got the all clear this week after picking up an injury in the Castleisland tournament and will travel this weekend, however his fitness is in doubt having missed the entire second half of the season. An ankle injury will prevent Emmet Neville from playing this weekend while Gordon Fitzgerald will be under pressure to make the 7.30pm start.
St Vincent's will be without Joey McGuirk for the tournament and while Mick Richardson is struggling with tendonitis, he will play this weekend. The former Irish International player is also entered into the National Slam Dunk contest.
Sx3 Star are struggling to pull together a team for Friday night and should they pull out of the competition, Demons will automatically qualify to the next round. Burgerking Limerick, Waterford Crystal and the winner from the Sx3 Star/Demons game will go into the first pool to play off three games on Saturday afternoon. Waterford Crystal may be without Captain Eamonn Sheehan for the weekend, but everyone else is fit and well.
After two weeks of League celebrations, a second title would mark the end of a great season for Waterford Crystal. Burgerking Limerick may have to travel without John Galvin whose commitment to the Limerick County football team will keep him out of the last game of the season. Dart Killester, Tralee and the winner from the Neptune/Vincent's clash will play off in pool 2, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals. Both Tralee and Killester have full squads ahead of the weekend.
Filed by Johnny Proby
