Excitement ahead of new season for Carrick Cruisers
It’s that time of the year when the Phoenix Centre in Carrickmacross turns its attention to basketball, as the Carrick Cruisers prepare for another exciting season.
The Cruisers men’s National League team are competing in Division 1 this season, with the opening game taking place at the Phoenix on Saturday.
Carrick are hosting Ulster University in Round 1 of the 2026 /27 National League, with top off at 7.30pm.
This season there is a strong blend of familiar faces and new talent in the Carrick squad.
There are some fascinating characters in the Cruisers outfit, none more-so than Martins Provizors, the Latvian born player who has been playing for Carrick since before the Covid pandemic.
This season is set to be exceptionally special for Provizors because his son, Kevin, is making the step up to the Senior ranks. Having coached Kevin while he played under-age for the Cruisers, the Provizor boys have their own Lebron / Bronny situation in the Cruisers locker room.
Other familiar faces will be togging out for the Cruisers; Kevin O’Hanlon was instrumental in setting up the men’s team in the 2023/24 season and is still heavily involved with the club on and off the court.
There are a number of players still around from the 2023/24 Intermediate Cup winning season, including Killian McAdam and Andrew O’Connor. Both men come from Monaghan Town and played basketball to a high level for the Blackwater Steelers under age, before making the move to Carrick to play as adults.
Just down the road in Castleblayney, the Cruisers have picked up Theo McMahon and Angelo Bumatay. Both men still play locally for Muckno Lakers, but as u20 players they are also allowed to play for a National League team.
The final returning player is Braxton Benham, from Atalanta in the US. Benham returns to the Cruisers for another season, having joined the club on the advice of a former player from the same area in Atalanta. Benham played college ball in the US and was an All-American in Division 3- one of the best players in his conference.
Joining the returning players are four new additions to the squad — Santiago Manero from Spain, Kieran Farrell from the UK, Abi Adedo from the UK and Andy McGeever.
The Spainard Manero joins the Cruisers this year thanks to the good relations between Basketball Ireland and the Spanish association. There are a number of Spainards playing in Ireland, and Manero is the latest to bring his talents to the south Monaghan club.
Meanwhile, both Abi Adedo and Kieran Farrell join the Cruisers from the UK. Adedo played two years of JuCo (Junior College) before playing NAIA in his final two years.
Similarly, Farrell has played all over the UK and in Europe and has also played five years of college basketball in the US.
Finally, Andy McGeever has played in the Super League for powerhouses Killester but has moved to Carrickmacross for work and is now playing with the Cruisers.
With the new season bringing the challenge of Division 1 basketball, the Cruisers are looking forward to testing themselves against some of the best teams in the country and continuing the club’s progress at National League level.
The club is also looking forward to seeing its loyal supporters back in the Phoenix Centre. The support from the local community has always played an important part in the Cruisers’ journey, and the team will be hoping for a big home crowd to get behind them as they begin their new campaign.
Carrick Cruisers would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of their sponsors for their continued support.
The club is now looking forward to getting the season underway and hopes to see a large crowd at the Phoenix Centre on Saturday night to cheer on the team.
Tip-off is at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available
through ClubZap or can be purchased at the door.