THE FIRST ROUND draw of the Sprite National Men's Basketball Cup has produced three all Superleague ties, with the meeting of league champions, Tralee, and three-time cup winners, Neptune, the pick of the first round contests.
Tralee look likely to start the new campaign without their successful coach of last season, Timmy McCarthy, who is reported to have stepped down for personal reasons. Without his influence, a visit to the Neptune Stadium so early in the campaign will be a very stern test of Tralee's new status in the game.
In addition, Neptune look like having a strengthened panel this season with the return after several years of former club member, Ger Heaphy, from North Mon.
Also on the transfer front, there are strong indications that Irish international, Karl Donnelly, will sign up with Top Four champions, Star of the Sea, for the new campaign. Donnelly has long been a St Vincent's player, but will be studying this winter at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown, which has strong links with the Belfast club.
Star's opening tie is a difficult one away to fellow superleague side, Delta Notre Dame, and there is also another top-class tie in the first round with the meeting of Killester and newly-promoted Marian in a Dublin derby game.
The three intriguing matches already mentioned are in the bottom chaff of the draw while the top half sees the cup holders, Ballina, open their defence against last year's Division One strugglers, Tridents. Ballina's future as a club will be tested, though, by a year in the lower division, as they suffered relegation last season.
In the women's cup, the holders, Meteors, have a relatively easy first round task at home to Sporting Belfast. League champions, Wildcats, travel to Blarney and Naomh Mhuire, winners twice in the last three years, are involved in an all-division one tie against Wexford.
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