Titans BC's Declan Gbinigie has been named in the final 12-man squad for Ireland's upcoming fixtures against Armenia, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan.
Gbinigie is one of six uncapped players called up by Ireland head coach Michael Bree. The Titans basketball player, as well as Ben Stevens (Alliance Montreal ), Leeroy Odiahi (Western Kentucky, USA ), Aivaras Uosis (Carsen Newman University, USA ), Tiernan Stynes (Quincy University, USA ) and Victor Okojie (UMass Lowell, USA ) could all make their senior national team debuts if they take to the floor against the Armenians in Los Angeles this Sunday.
Ireland will play Armenia in a friendly in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28 before taking to as FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers against North Macedonia and Azerbaijan in Skopje and Baku on July 2 and July 5.
"There’s plenty of exciting talent in the squad, so I’m looking forward to getting to work with them and seeing how quickly we can put things together," said head coach Bree.
"There's a lot of new faces in the squad, but it just shows the depth that we are building and it's always exciting as a player to see these guys who have been performing at U18 and U20 level come into the squad," said Ireland captain Sean Flood ahead of the camp.
Gbinigie has come through the Basketball Ireland Pathway Programme, alongside Uosis, Stynes and Okojie. In the last two seasons they have all featured for the Ireland U20 MNT.
Gbinigie and the Ireland squad assembled yesterday before departing for Los Angeles this morning (Thursday, June 25 ). They will then travel to Skopje for their first FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifier of the window against North Macedonia on Thursday, July 2.
Ireland currently sit in fourth place in Group A with a 1-3 record, following a 76-75 defeat to Azerbaijan and a 91-85 win over Luxembourg in the previous March window.
Ireland squad
Max Amadasun (Cultural Y Deportiva Leonesa, SPA ), Rapolas Buivydas (Belfast Star ), Sean Flood (Heroes Den Bosch, NED ), Sean Fitzpatrick (UCD Marian ), Sam Alajiki (Giorgio Tesi Group Pistona, ITA ), Declan Gbinigie (Titans BC ), Aivaras Uosis (Carsen Newman University, USA ), Ben Stevens (Alliance Monteral, CAN ), Adrian O’Sullivan (Ballincollig BC ), Tiernan Stynes (Quincy University, USA ), Leeroy Odiahi (Western Kentucky, USA ), Victor Okojie (UMass Lowell, USA ).
