Strickland inspires the re-emergence of Neptune

A LOP SIDED draw has thrown up two first round pairings which completely dominate the first full weekend of Sprite men's cup action this season.

At the National Basketball arena in Tallaght, last year's runners up Star of the Sea play the beaten semi finalists Delta Notre Dame while at the Neptune Stadium in Cork, the home club entertain Tralee in a re match of a classic league game which Neptune won three weeks ago.

That match represented Tralee's only defeat this season and the manner of their capitulation in the final quarter after they held an 18 point lead will surely occupy coach Pat Lucey's mind as he prepares his team talk tomorrow night.

Neptune have re established themselves as a team of note and prospect this season after a quite fallow year. Under the coaching of former eighties star Tom Wilkinson, they are playing a smart tidy brand of game based around strong and proven players like Steve McCarthy and Ger Heaphy in the back court while veteran Terry Strickland and rookie Mario Mullins are extremely effective Americans.

After some poor early season performances by Strickland, there were opinions in Cork basketball circles that after three retirements and three comebacks, the 36 year old veteran had finally lost the spark that made him the model American of the Irish game. His response was to hit 38 points in a single handed demolition of Killester a fortnight ago and then contribute a handsome 27 points in the 103-90 win over Delta last week in Dublin.

Mullins has already been admired by observers as one of the best rookies of the new crop and with Strickland to guide him along, it seems that Wilkinson has the makings of a team that might even challenge the might of Star of the Sea this season.

Star's evolvement from a team that used to be a good outside bet in national competitions to raging hot favourites for the double has been progressive but also painful over the past three seasons. Their cup final defeat by Ballina last season sent their treble winning aspirations into a tailspin which cost them the league as well before coach Danny Fulton pulled them out of it at the end of the campaign to win the Top Four.

This season an already strong squad, bolstered by the arrival of Scott Summersgill from Oldham, Irish international Karl Donnelly from St Vincent's and the re categorisation of Javan Dupree as an Irish national, has coasted to the top of the table.

Star's opponents in cup tie, Notre Dame, have had a mixed week having lost Darren McGuinness while acquiring veteran former journeyman American Lennie McMillan. McGuinness left the club this week, after a disagreement over court time and although he has been linked with a move to Tridents there was no confirmation of such a transfer yesterday.

Tridents, in only their second season, look to have improved on their dismal opening campaign but they will hardly trouble cup holders Ballina in Killala.

After their shock relegation last season, the Mayo club look particularly determined to bounce straight back up to the Superleague and perhaps even defend the cup successfully. During the week, they secured the services of a second American, Isaac Morgan, from Division One NCAA college Fairley Dickenson and he slots in alongside free scoring Shannon Sweeney at the head of a first five that can also boast newly categorised Irishman Deora Marsh as well as Liam McHale.

In the women's Sprite Cup there is one intriguing tie in Gurranabraher, involving league champions Wildcats and Division Two side Blarney who have lured, back old stars like Sandie Breen, to partner the very capable Sinead Leahy and Helen McSweeney.

On the transfer front, MSB were considerably weakened this week by the loss of their best player, Emer Howard, who has moved to Sporting Belfast because of study commitments.