Ireland name European comeback team

DUBLIN (FIBA European Championship for Small Countries) - Irish national team player-coach Colin O'Reilly announced on Tuesday the 12-man squad that will have the honour to represent their country this summer on the European basketball stage, for the first time in over six years.

The senior men's team of the Celtic nation last played in a European game on 29 August 2009, when they fell 75-69 to the Slovak Republic on the final game day of the EuroBasket 2009 Division B tournament.

O'Reilly and Conor Grace are the only two players from that 2009 Irish side who are poised to pull on the national team jersey again this summer.

Ireland are set to make their long-awaited comeback by competing in the FIBA European Championship For Small Countries in Moldova, from 26 June through 3 July.

The green-whites have chosen to rely heavily on the players who gained international experience this year as members of Hibernia Basketball, the Irish League select team which took part in the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season.

Ireland's squad therefore includes seven players of Hibernia while there are two more players with European experience, albeit of different nature, who are included on the team.

Brian Fitzpatrick, a 2.03m power forward, has been an important player on Danish side Horsens IC for the past two seasons.

The 26-year-old Irishman averaged 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 assist per game to help Horsens win the Basket Ligaen league title last week.

Winger Jordan Blount on the other hand is only 19 years old, but he had stolen the show at last summer's U18 European Championship Division B as he averaged 25.4 points per game and finished as the tournament's top scorer, also adding 9.2 rebounds on average.

"The players who have carried over from the Sino-European Games and Hibernia have valuable experience at an elite level," commented O'Reilly.

"There are also some younger guys in there now who maybe weren't ready last year but have an x-factor that gives them an edge on guys who might have better stats over the course of a season.

"With five games in five days, that is the kind of blend we need. We've gone with players who can play an up-tempo game and fit well into our system."

The Irish will take on San Marino, Malta and Gibraltar in Group A of the FIBA European Championship For Small Countries.

Ireland 12-man roster for FIBA European Championship for Small Countries: Jordan Blount (University of Illinois - USA), Keelan Cairns (Belfast Star), Paul Dick (Pyrobel Killester), Brian Fitzpatrick (Horsens IC – DEN), Conor Grace (Templeogue), Kyle Hosford (C&S UCC Demons), Stephen James (Templeogue), Kevin Lacey (GCD Swords Thunder), Lorcan Murphy (Templeogue), Colin O'Reilly (C&S UCC Demons), Adrian O’Sullivan (C&S UCC Demons), Ciaran O’Sullivan (C&S UCC Demons).

FIBA