Titans hoping for historic weekend as league finals take centre-stage

First up will be the club’s U-20 Men, who put their national league title on the line this evening when they take on Templeogue of Dublin (7pm), where a win will see them complete the league and cup double, having captured the cup back in January when defeating Neptune of Cork 73-69.

Attention will then turn to the U-18 Boys League final tomorrow, when Titans face another Dublin club, this time Oblates providing the opposition (10am).

Then comes the big one tomorrow evening, when the senior men’s side face the double-chasing Limerick Sport Eagles in the Division One final (8.15pm), with the winners earning the right to promotion to the Super League for the 2026/27 season.

"Its been very up and down," Titan's US star, Umar Rachid, said of a season that saw the city club end with Men's Division One 22-game campaign with a 13-9 record to claim the fourth seed in the South Conference.

"The theme of out season has been inconsistency, we've been battling a lot of injuries, but we knew we had the talent within our team, it was just a matter of whether or not it would click for us, and click at the right time, and thankfully it did," he said.

It certainly clicked in the play-offs, with Titans stunning regular season table-toppers and top seeds Dublin Lions in the league quarter-final, claiming an 82-78 win in Clondalkin; before dishing out an 80-55 pasting to South Conference second seeds, Maree, in the semi-final.

That is itself has been an incredible run, but Rashid says the use of that particular word, for him at least, is wide of the mark.

"It was been incredible, but I don't like the term 'run' as it implies we are doing the unexpected. I think any team that has seen us knows the talent that we have and knows the physical brand of basketball that we like to play and they should know we are not an easy match-up for anybody. It shouldn't come as a surprise that we are here," he says.

What he admits was a surprise was the age-profile of the side he weas joining, though he does catch himself and admits he is not exactly pushing veteran status himself.

"It is not something I was aware of, that I would be playing with some many players who were still in college, so many players under the age of 20, but they bring a lot of youthful energy. I say that like I'm old - I'm only 22!

"But they bring a lot of energy, they are very athletic, running around, yelling, dunking, blocking shots, its definitely the kid of basketball I like to play," he says.

Confirming the youth in the Titan's men's side is the fact a number of them will be in action for the U-20s tonight; while Nathan Gbinigie can expect to see action in all three finals, as he is still eligible to play with the U-18s.

"It is very upbeat," he says of the mood at the club this week, "the only struggle we are having is making sure we are managing everybody's load.

"We have Nathan [Gbinigie], he is playing in all three games, the majority of our team is playing in the U-20 final the night before. But they are great problems to have, the problems that come with success are the ones you want to be dealing with.

"It is a testament to how great our underage programme is, and how much our club pours into the kids we have in the club," he says.

Tomorrow's Division One final opponents are a Limerick Sport Eagles side that is looking to complete the league and cup double, having wo the Division One Cup back in January with an 83-67 win over Drogheda Wolves in the decider.

"We now they are very experienced," Rachid says of the side that will go into the game as favourites, "we know they have the talent, they are very balanced, but we are trying not to get caught-up in what they do.

"Obviously we will do our game plan, our preparation, but we know if we come in and have our imprint on the game and play the style with pace we want to play, we'll give ourselves the best chance," he says.