Basketball: The Tralee Tigers will be keen to regain that winning feeling this evening, but they will be hard pressed to put a stop to UCC Demons. After four successive Superleague victories, the Demons are lying third in the South Conference table.
"We're positioned well after the recent good run," said coach Pat Rice. "Tralee will be difficult, but at least we are in a position to challenge. If we win our next two games we have a realistic chance of going for the double."
UCC suffered a setback this week when they lost Alaivaa Nuualiitia to the dreaded scourge of the league - homesickness. Nuualiitia is not the first import this season, and probably not the last, to depart when the climes of this fair island turn a little nasty.
"He was suffering from homesickness earlier in the season, but we thought he had just buried it and focused all his energies into performing on the court. Unfortunately he hadn't, " said Rice.
Nuualiitia appeared to have put his affliction behind him; he was averaging 17 points and 17 rebounds per game. Considering that the bulk of club's finances are invested into foreign players, a more extensive screening process should be adopted before recruiting players from abroad.
DJ Harrison, a 6ft 8in forward, is expected to arrive in Cork ahead of the Tralee game.
In their earlier encounter in November, Tralee defeated the Demons 84-77 and the Kerry men will be hoping to recover from last weekend's defeat to St Vincent's. They also lost a key performer, Vinnie Murphy, but that was due to the player's work commitments clashing with his basketball schedule.
Elsewhere, Waterford are struggling with a mini injury crisis ahead of their home game against Neptune on Saturday night. Joe Malone (finger) and Andy Piper (ankle) look set to miss out. In the Neptune camp, Stephen McCarthy is struggling with a calf injury.
With Keith Friel still receiving treatment on a blood infection in his knee, Harold Pierson will continue to line out for Killester in the coming weeks.
Shamrock Rovers go into Saturday's encounter against UCD Marian unsure of where their next score is coming from, with the performances of American Chris Wiedemann a major concern. He has averaged less than nine points in his four games with the club.
"Chris is yet to play to his potential, but he is working hard to get there," said Rovers coach Anthony Jenkins.
Regarding the homesickness problems suffered by other clubs, Jenkins believes such a scenario doesn't have the opportunity to arise at the Tallaght club due to the extra activities they have their players involved in.
"We got the guys doing lots of stuff, so they don't have time to get bored."
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Men's Superleague - Tonight: UCC Demons v Tralee Tigers, Mardyke UCC, 8.15 p.m. Saturday: Waterford v Neptune, WIT, 7.30 p.m.; Shamrock Rovers Hoops v UCD Marian, ESB Arena, 8 p.m. Sunday: Tralee Tigers v Killarney Lakers, Tralee, 3 p.m.
