Irish mens basketball team

[Dodge]

Congrats to the Irish senior mens team who have qualified from their European championship group by beating slovakia by 14 points (they needed to win by 13!)

They now play Denmark for promotion to the elite league.

The Irish team contains 3 players with NBA experience; Cal Bowdler (3 seasons with Atlanta Hawks), Marty Conlon (9 seasons with Milwaukee Bucks)and Offaly born Pat Burke.

Burke was the first ever Irish born player to play in the NBA when he played for Orlanda Magic. He has won the european cup twice with Panathinaikos and won the Spanish league last season with Real Madrid (along with another Irish international Jay Larranga) He has recently signed for the Phoenix Suns back in the NBA

[thejollyrodger]

are we any good at this craic ?

[pineapple stu]

Offaly born Pat Burke.

Dublin-born, according to the programme.

Was at it on First Aid duty - they looked dead early on when Slovakia got a good lead (six or seven points at one stage), but they blew them away in the third quarter. Went 21 points up with a few minutes to go, but in the end, we needed Slovakia to miss from their last attack to go through.

The game was fairly dramatic, if not overly exciting (not a fan of basketball at all). Denmark are next up.

Are we any good at this craic?

"We", no. But there's enough US players with Irish ancestry to improve the team. Only five of the squad were born in Ireland, and of that, one or two emigrated young. Most of the players are Americans who qualify by virtue of grandparents.

[Dodge]

Heard him talk before about being from Tullamore, just ad libbed the "born" bit...

Anyway all but 2 of the squad play abroad, most of them in the top Spanish/Italian divisions. A coule could play NBA but would earn more money in the top europeanclubs than in the NBA (as none of them would be superstars...)

[The Stars]

He has recently signed for the Phoenix Suns back in the NBA

I was offered a scholership with them but I can assure you that it wasnt worth it.

[Dodge]

HHHHMMMmmm... fairly unusual for a Pro team to offer a scholarship...

[The Stars]

HHHHMMMmmm... fairly unusual for a Pro team to offer a scholarship...

Not at all.they have acadamies and other campuses aswell like every other team.Competition is fearce though

[Dodge]

I'm sorry, I'll need to see proof

[The Stars]

okay...im not.but i do know a guy from mayo who is going over next year.

[TheOwl]

Conor Grace and Michael Bree are the only two on the Irish team who went through the Irish schools system, both played on full scholarships with Davidson College in North Carolina.

Pat Burke was born in Dublin and moved to the US when he was 3. His father is from Offaly, Lorcan Precious was born in Ireland too, but moved when he was young also, he is the only member of the squad who played in the Irish Superleague last year.

The programme was definitely accurate, or at least I hope it was, as I wrote two of the articles.

It was a fantastic evening for Irish basketball though, and I’m looking forward to the Denmark game (which is two-legged), if Ireland get through they will be in Europe’s Top 16, which will see us playing some of the best teams in the world.

[Mayo Red]

Fair play to them, I'm not a huge basketball fan but it was entertaining stuff going right down to the wire like it did.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I know Conor Grace's sister and I remember her telling me how good a prospect he was 6 years back. It was great to see him get some court time. I also heard Precious is originally from Dunlaoghaire.

[pete]

For a non-basketball person i thought it was entertaining. I think media didn't give the victory much coverage which is disappointing. Ireland killed Slovakia in the 2nd & 3rd quarters only to nearly throw away at the end.

RTE did good job but didn't do much to inform viewers who the players were or where they came from.

I don't any problem using patronage rules as long as still have a few home grown players.

[Dodge]

Also a couple of the "plastics" have played here so at least they've lived in the country

[Partizan]

Not a big basketball fan myself but the Slovakia game was hugely entertaining. Played a bit of it in school but I was as akward as a bejesus.

I think Irish basketball is on the way up especially with all the ex-pats, plastics and returning students from America plying their trade here in the Superleague or declaring for Ireland. Pity about the demise of Waterford Crystal though.

Anyway interesting times ahead considering since if we do make it to the elite, alot of eyebrows will be raised.

[TheOwl]

I know Conor Grace's sister and I remember her telling me how good a prospect he was 6 years back. It was great to see him get some court time. I also heard Precious is originally from Dunlaoghaire.

Conor Grace also signed a professional contract with an Italian club this summer, so he is building up for himself a nice career in the game. Has a very good outside shot for a big man.

Precious has an Irish birth cert alright, but like Burke, he grew up in America.

[TheOwl]

Just got word from Basketball Ireland that RTE will show both legs of the Denmark match live.

The first leg is on this Saturday in the Arena 5.00pm tip-off

Second leg is on in Denmark Saturday week again with a 5.00pm tip-off.

Irish women play Sweden in the Arena this Saturday also, with 1.30pm start.

Good luck Ireland and fair play RTE!

[pete]

Is basketball semi-pro in this country? Crowds must surely be of eL 1st division level?

[Aberdonian Stu]

That's about right. UCD Marian do a lot of promotions in the local schools (I think they're more Marian than UCD). I covered a few of their games while I was in college. Arena can take about 300 and it's usually full. Great atmosphere at the games though.

[Dodge]

Most clubs have one pro (usually American) and the rest amatuers