Premier League (Ireland)

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Premier League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2015–16 Irish Premier League season
Sport Basketball
Founded 1973
Inaugural season 1973–74
No. of teams 10
Country Ireland
Continent FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent champion(s) UCC Demons (7th title)
Most titles Neptune (11 titles)
Official website Basketball Ireland

The Premier League (formerly the Superleague) is the top tier men's basketball league in Ireland, with ten clubs competing in the competition. The current champions are UCC Demons who finished on top of the ladder in 2014–15. The final Superleague champions were the UL Eagles who won in 2012–13, as the league changed its name to Premier League for the 2013–14 season. Neptune hold the record for most championships, having won the competition 11 times.[1]

In July 2015, Basketball Ireland announced their decision to enter a team into the newly established FIBA Europe Cup for the 2015–16 edition. The subsequent team entered, Hibernia, was created with the sole purpose of playing in European competitions, with the team's roster filled with Premier League players.[2]

Current teams

Team Stadium City/Area
Belfast Star Methodist College Belfast
DCU Saints DCU Sports Complex Glasnevin, Dublin
Éanna Coláiste Éanna Rathfarnham, Dublin
Killester IWA Clontarf, Dublin
Moycullen NUIG Kingfisher Galway
Swords Thunder ALSAA Dublin Airport, Dublin
Templeogue Oblate Hall Inchicore, Dublin
UCC Demons Mardyke Arena Cork City
UCD Marian UCD Sports Centre Belfield, Dublin
UL Eagles UL Arena Castletroy, Limerick

Past champions

From 2003–04 to 2011–12, the league was split up into North and South Conferences and the league champion was determined by the team who made it through to and won the grand final. Prior to 2003–04, the league champion was determined by the team won finished on top of the ladder and the runner-up was who finished second on the ladder. An exception is the 2001–02 season, where Waterford Crystal were crowned league champions after finishing first on the ladder despite the league holding a post-season tournament that the Tralee Tigers (finished second on the season) won over Killester (finished fourth on the season) in the final.[3]

In 2012–13, the league reverted to the old model and removed conferences, re-establishing league champions as the top of the ladder finishers, and established a Champions Trophy tournament for the final two weeks of the season to act as a playoff tournament (similar to the 2001–02 season). From 2012–13 onwards, the team who finishes on top of the ladder is crowned league champion, while for the final two weeks of the season, the top four teams battle it out for the Champions Trophy.[4]

In July 2015, 11-time league champions, Neptune Cork, withdrew from the 2015–16 season following a major loss of player personnel, deciding instead to join the National League Division 1.[5]

All-Star teams

On 26 March 2015, Basketball Ireland announced the Premier League's inaugural All-Star awards (not related to the league's annual All-Star Game). The All-Star picks compose of three teams, each with five roster spots. Players are selected with regard to position; they are listed according to position in the following descending order: two guards, two forwards and one center.[6]

Season First team Second team Third team
Players Teams Players Teams Players Teams
2014–15 Kyle Hosford UCC Demons Isaac Westbrooks Swords Thunder Isaac Gordon Templeogue
Conor Meany UCD Marian Roy Downey Neptune Kevin Lacey Swords Thunder
Ricky Taylor Belfast Star Michael Goj Swords Thunder Ciaran O'Sullivan UCC Demons
Colin O'Reilly UCC Demons Juan Torres Swords Thunder Michael Bonaparte Neptune
Lehmon Colbert UCC Demons Jason Killeen Templeogue Jermaine Turner Killester

See also

References

External links