From Luxembourg to Galway: Ivor Kurešević leads Maree BC’s impressive start to the season

By Conor Galligan

Hailing from a town in Luxembourg with a population of less than 5,000 people, a young Ivor Kurešević would have found it hard to imagine the lengths that his future basketball career would take him.

Now, the 23-year-old shooting guard is embracing a new chapter in his journey as he has put on the captain’s armband for Galway’s Maree Basketball Club this season, leading them to the top of their conference as the club chases promotion to Ireland’s topflight league.

Growing up in Luxembourg, Kurešević fell in love with basketball at a young age, however, making a career out of the sport seemed unlikely at the start. Although the sport has continued to grow back home, he remembers a relatively small basketball scene during his childhood.

Kurešević said: “When I was growing up, there wasn’t a lot of people playing outside of Luxembourg. There wasn’t anybody you’d look at and say, ‘I want to be like him and play outside of the country’. It was more of a local scene, pretty small.”

That has since begun to change, with more Luxembourgish players pursuing opportunities abroad. Kurešević would eventually become one of those players, taking his talents to Austria, where he represented Vienna Timberwolves, before also playing for Amicale Steesel back in Luxembourg.

His experiences across different European basketball environments have given him an appreciation for varying styles of the game. In Austria and Luxembourg, he often occupied a more complementary role, focusing on contributing defensively and playing off the ball. His move to Galway, however, has presented a different opportunity.

“Here I have a much bigger role. In Austria and Luxembourg, I was more of a complementary piece but here I’m more on the ball.”

Last weekend’s victory against Galway Titans in the local derby put Kurešević’s new role on full display as he played all 40 minutes and worked up and down the court, contributing 14 points in total.

Leading the way at Maree

Kurešević arrived in Galway this September just before the 26/27 Division One season kicked off, having spoken with Maree head coach Mike Lynch during the summer. The chance to take on a leadership role in the dressing room was a major factor in his decision to join the club.

He recalled: “They were telling me that they wanted somebody to be more of a leader, to take over that role. That’s something that really spoke to me.”

Now wearing the captain’s armband, his responsibilities extend beyond his performances during games. He is also tasked with keeping teammates focused and acting as a link between the coaching staff and players.

“Being the captain of the team makes me grow more because I have way more responsibility, not only just playing the game but also taking care of my teammates, making sure that we’re all on the same page, focused and ready.”

It is a role that he has embraced from the outset, leading the team huddles and helping establish a strong connection within the dressing room.

Overseas talent

That connection is particularly evident among Maree’s three new overseas additions. Kurešević has been joined by Swedish-American point guard Eddie Czerapowicz and American power forward Cahal Connolly this season, with the trio quickly developing an understanding both on and off the court.

All three arrived in Galway during different stages of their basketball careers, but Kurešević believes their combination has worked amazingly so far as the trio has helped Maree to a 4-1 winning record.

Ivor noted: “I think our relationship is great. This is Cahal’s first professional season, my first season with such a big role, and Eddie obviously had some more experience. But I feel like we all just gelled and clicked together fairly quickly.”

That chemistry was highlighted in Maree’s last game against Titans. With three seconds left on the shot clock, Kurešević took the inbound pass after a timeout before helping create the opportunity for Czerapowicz to knock down a game-winning three, with Connolly providing the screen to free up his teammate.

Maree’s new arrivals make up a long list of overseas players applying their trade across Ireland’s basketball leagues, a trend that Kurešević believes will only become more popular.

“I think the Irish league is becoming a really big stepping stone for overseas players. They come in and play here and then might go to the Super League and eventually step up to bigger European leagues.”

For at least this season, Ivor is determined to make his time in Galway count, whether that be promotion to the Super League or securing some silverware. Maree will have the chance to make a good start in their campaign to win the President’s Cup this weekend as they are set to face Ulster University in Jordanstown tomorrow (November 7) in the Division One National Cup.