STAR of the Sea coach Danny Fulton has cut his rookie American Jason Senik, but will not be able to use his replacement John Leahy in tomorrow's top of the table meeting with Neptune.
The IBA's seven day residency rule means that Leahy will have to sit on the bench at the Neptune Stadium even though he trained twice this week with his new teammates.
Leahy, a 6 ft 4 in forward, is rated by Seton Hall coach George Delaney as a "strong rebounder and a great shooter". He arrived in Belfast this week after a spell with British Superleague club Derby Storm.
Fulton admitted to be disappointed about having to break the bad news to Senik this week. "In the last 12 years, we've only cut one other player, and it wasn't easy. But things hadn't gone as we'd hoped with Jason and we didn't start him against Delta last week," he said.
Even accounting for his limited court time, Senik managed to score only seven points in the game. It was to be his last opportunity to impress in a tie that Star contrived to lose, despite leading 61-33 at half time.
The fallout from that defeat could well have a bearing on the match against Neptune tomorrow.
"It was the most extraordinary game, said Fulton. "I've never seen a team play so well in one half - and yet so badly in the other. We couldn't hit the wall from 10 feet with our shots in the second half."
But Fulton will be anxious to impress upon his team tomorrow night that the league has always been their priority, and that they have a brilliant record of four successive victories over Neptune on their last four visits to Cork.
The two teams pair up well player for player, as both have an abundance of guard/forwards. They both also have a veteran American (Strickland for Neptune and Dupree for Star), while the two "rookies", Mario Mullins and Gabe Jackson, look to be well matched.
Neptune's fine cup victory over Tralee last week leaves their 100 per cent record intact and that often brings with it more pressure. But if they beat Star tomorrow they will have proven that their recovery of form this season is no temporary phenomenon.
Another important Superleague game this week takes place in Tralee where the champions play host to Killester, who have had a disappointing season. During the week, free agent Darren McGuinness was training with the Dubliners but as yet there is no sign of a permanent move for the former Delta player who once played with Tralee.
Killester have to plan without two key players, Alan Kennedy and Tony McDonagh, for the visit to Kerry.
The big game in women's division one is the meeting of old Dublin rivals Meteors and Naomh Mhuire in Sandyford tomorrow evening. Mhuire, who have n played a game at national level for three weeks, are expected to have June Blount back in their squad.
Reigning champions Wildcats who were sensationally knocked out of the cup last week by the second division "superteam" Blarney, have a difficult enough assignment away to Tolka who scored over 100 points in an easy cup win over Killester last week.
