Few sports in Ireland are transformed during cup time in the same manner as basketball. Although the playoffs have a relatively short history, the late January date, combined with the extensive television coverage, elevates the 14-year-old event to the forefront of Irish sport for this one weekend in the year.
In this season's climax, the "smartish" money is on the men of Star of the Sea and the women of Wildcats to end their barren cup records. For Wildcats, who have been consistently the best team for more than three years, the cup has been more than just elusive. Their dominance of the sport is such that they are now virtually assured of their fourth league title success in a row, even though there are still four more rounds of matches left in the current campaign.
But the cup brings about a curious state of frailty in the Waterford side. In their last appearance in the final, in January 1996, they were defeated comprehensively by Meteors who used their superior height to literally overshadow Wildcats throughout a defence-orientated game.
Then, just 15 months ago, Wildcats were defeated in the first round of the 1996-97 cup by Blarney, who just a month ago again troubled the Waterford women in the first round proper before losing narrowly 80-73. Only three weeks earlier, Wildcats had trounced the Cork side 105-60 in the league.
That all three of Wildcats' rivals in the cup are effectively out of the league campaign gives Meteors, Naomh Mhuire and Tolka Rovers just one chance to atone for their relatively disappointing league campaigns, and it will be the 1996 winners, Meteors, who will have the first opportunity to end the unbeaten run of the Waterford side in tomorrow's second semi-final.
Naomh Mhuire will be just about favoured to come through tonight's first semi-final against Tolka, if only for reasons of experience. However, the loss of June Blount for the rest of the season with her recurrent ankle injury deprives Mhuire of a player who can face down the aggressive approach of both Tolka and Wildcats. Tolka are well represented at the National Arena over the weekend, as their men will be in action tomorrow night in the second semi-final of the cup against Neptune.
With so much attention being lavished on tonight's semi-final between Notre Dame and Star of the Sea, it is easy to dismiss the chances of Neptune and Tolka considering that neither side has a league record to boast about.
Neptune went seven games in a row without a win at the start of the season, and only a recent revival has lifted them off the bottom of the league table. "Finally, it looks like we've got a settled team," said coach Mark Scannell, who was lumbered with the coaching job during a turbulent pre-season.
"We've trained every day now for the past three weeks and it is paying off. We're in good enough shape to give it a real go in the play-offs, and it sort of suits us that there is little attention focussed on us. It certainly makes a change from the past," added Scannell.
Tolka's position in the lower half of the Division One table does not augur well for their chances of bridging the gap in standard required to be competitive in the cup. However, they have at least two elements in their favour. Firstly, their coach, Mark Ingle, is among the best in the country, and secondly, they have won through to their first semifinal by defeating two Superleague sides, Dungannon and St Vincent's.
Whichever of the two progresses to Sunday's final, they will be underdogs in the decider as the first semi-final features one of the most-anxiously awaited clashes of the season as the holders, Notre Dame, currently second in the table and playing on home territory, take on the league leaders Star of the Sea.
Due to the loss of player-coach Anthony Jenkins four weeks ago with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the subsequent shock retirement of Darren McGuinness, Notre Dame are weakened but still potent, especially on their fortress-like home court.
Star's coach, Danny Fulton, is confident but cautious. "If we play as well as we can and have been playing, we will win. If we don't, we will lose."
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