Sprite Cup Finals 2000
Senior Men - Profiles
Tolka Rovers
Cup Record:
Yet to winCurrent League form:
5 wins from 16 played - 13th ESB Men's SuperLeagueWho they beat to get here:
R1: Tolka Rovers 80(37) 74(35) Clare Jets
1/4 Finals: Tolka Rovers 74(42) 68(35) Star of the Sea
Players to watch:
Lennie McMillan:
Lennie will certainly be one of the most experienced players out on court. He first played National League basketball back in the '81/'82 league with Blue Demons and has played with a number of teams since then. He was won four cup medals to date and claimed the MVP award at the Sprite Cup finals in 1998. He is currently averaging 14ppg for Tolka Rovers. Transferred to Tolka from Denny Notre Dame this season.Randall Mounts:
Randall was a member of Denny Notre Dame's 1998 Sprite Cup winning side. He joined Tolka at the end of last season and returned to their squad in mid October.
He is currently averaging 16ppg and 10rpg for Tolka.Greg Haffner:
Greg, Tolka's second foreign player has been in excellent form in recent weeks. He has averaged 16ppg and 8rpg this season.Mike Quill:
One of three Quill brothers on Tolka's squad, at 6'7", Mike Quill has been an imposing centre for Tolka this season. He has averaged 7.7ppg and 4rpg this season.Paddy Boylan:
Boylan has been a key member of Tolka's NL since moving up from underage level. He has averaged 8ppg and is leads their assists record with 6apg.
Denny Notre Dame
Cup Record:
Defending champions with 3 wins - 1999, 1998, 1997
Only team to have won 3 consecutive Sprite Cup titles.Current League form:
12 wins from 18 played - Joint 2nd ESB Men's SuperLeagueWho they beat to get here:
Round 1: Denny Notre Dame 90(40) 77(40) Neptune
1/4 Finals: Denny Notre Dame 88(35) 62(29) BurgerKing LimerickPlayers to watch:
Anthony Jenkins:
Player/Coach Jenkins has coached Denny to three wins to date and played on two of those winning squads (he missed out in 1998 due to an injury picked up in the Castleisland Christmas Blitz). Jenkins has been plagued by a recurring back injury this season but still remains the most influential player for Denny when on court. He has averaged 19.6ppg and 8.9rpg.Eric Blair:
Blair moved to Denny from Waterford Crystal this season and has quickly become an integral part of the side. Last years ESB SuperLeague Foreign Player of the Year, he has been a consistent hard worker for Denny both offensively and defensively. He has averaged 21ppg and 11.4rpg for Denny.Brian Benjamin:
Benjamin is another new addition to the Denny side this year. The Dutch born player is working in Dublin and previously played National League in The Netherlands and was also capped at Junior level. He has given Denny an added edge at the top of the key and has left Eamonn Gallagher fighting for his point guard spot. Benjamin has averaged 10.7ppg and 6.4apg.Ciaran Dempsey
Dempsey and SuperLeague teammate Ciaran McEvilly will have busy weekends, as they are both also in action in the U19 Sprite Cup. Dempsey has been without doubt one of the most impressive young players in the SuperLeague this season and has been a consistent fixture in the "Top 3 Scorers" for Denny each game. He has averaged 17.2ppg in the league this season.
St. Vincent's
Cup Record:
Won 3 times - 1994, 1993 and 1984Current League form:
11 wins from 18 played - 6th ESB Men's SuperLeagueWho they beat to get here:
Round 1: St. Vincent's 87(40) 66(31) Sligo Dairies
1/4 Finals: St. Vincent’s 94(78)(38) 91(78)44) Esat Telecom Demons AETPlayers to watch:
Dual star Donnelly will also be in action for his GAA side Na Fianna later in February in the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Club Championships and he would love to have a Sprite Cup medal to his name before that big event. He missed a number of early matches for St. Vincent's due to his commitments to Na Fianna, but has been a consistent starter of late and is in peak form. Has vast experience both at National League and International level and is one of the key players for Vincent's.
Stephen McGuirk:
McGuirk played with Declan's before moving to St. Vincent's at U19 level and has been a regular part of their line up ever since. McGuirk is currently in awesome form for St. Vincent's after being hampered by injury earlier in the season. He has averaged 14ppg this season.Ferdinand Williams:
6'10" Williams replaced Terry Henderson in the Vincent's line up at the end of October and quickly fitted in to the Vincent's style of play. He has been a consistent performer for them, particularly under the boards and he has averaged 15.6rpg. He is also a consistent scorer with 12.8ppg.Mark Keenan
Mark, the team captain is Ireland's most capped International player to date and has a wealth of Sprite Cup experience behind him. He won a medal with Corinthians in 1989 and two with St. Vincent's. He has been dogged by injury over the past few seasons and missed St. Vincent's last home game with a recurring ankle injury but expect him to be a key presence on court for St. Vincent's next weekend.
Waterford Crystal
Cup Record: Yet to win
Current League form:
6 wins from 18 played - 12th ESB Men's SuperLeagueWho they beat to get here:
Round 1: Waterford Crystal 70(43) 64(32) Team Kerry Spring Water
1/4 Finals: Waterford Crystal 76(29) 66(40) KillesterPlayers to watch:
Dean Kavanagh:
The ESB Player of the Year for 1999 continues to be the most influential player on court for Waterford Crystal. Kavanagh controls the pace of Crystal's game and is the main playmaker for them. He also likes nothing better than to drive straight into the heart of the defence and punish them with an easy lay-up. St. Vincent's will be well aware of the threat that Kavanagh poses when they meet on Saturday night. There is however a major doubt over his fitness, he was taken out of their ESB SuperLeague clash with Denny Notre Dame on the 15th January after turning on his ankle and missed last weekends clash. He has averaged 9apg this season.Roscoe Patterson:
Patterson's partnership with Eric Blair provided some of the highlights of the 1998/99 season. He struggled at times to find the form he enjoyed with Blair until the arrival of Reggie Scott back in November. If Patterson is on form on the night, he could prove very troublesome for Vincent's. He has averaged 21.5ppg and 11.8rpg in the league.Reggie Scott:
Scott played for BurgerKing Limerick last season and joined Waterford Crystal mid-November. He has quickly become their most prolific scorer averaging 30ppg and 12rpg. He has also averaged 2.8 three-pointers per game.Eamonn Sheehan
Sheehan, the Crystal Captain is one of their best defenders and has caused countless foreign players trouble over the past two seasons. His ability to take one of the American (foreign) players out of the game, freeing up one of Crystal's Americans has been vital for them on occasion.
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