55 players selected for Basketball Ireland U17 Academy Programme

A total of 55 players have been selected to participate in the Basketball Ireland U17 Academy programme for the upcoming season. 

The Basketball Ireland U17 Academy Programme serves as a bridge for boys and girls between U16 and U18 level, allowing them the chance to develop physically, while continuing to receive high level coaching and experience a high-performance environment. It also keeps them engaged with the Basketball Ireland Player Pathway, with several players in recent years going on to represent Ireland at the FIBA U18 European Championships after a successful year in the system.

 Ireland U17 men's academy selection Sam Herrick in action during last season's All-Ireland Schools Cup. 

The U17 women's programme will be led by former Ireland U16 coach Andy Gill, alongside assistant coaches Ger Jago and Trish Bamber, with Fiona Whelan operating as team manager.

"The coaching team and I are looking forward to working with this group of players and giving them the tools to both further their game and lay the foundations for a chance to progress to the U18 national team next season," said U17 women's head coach Andy Gill. "We will be working closely with Tommy to integrate some of his key concepts and create synergy with his programme. We want players from this group to really embrace the challenge of improving their game to the next level." 

Ciaran Kiveney makes the step up to head coach of the U17 men's academy, having served as an assistant coach in 2023. He will be assisted by Jason Barry, with further appointments to his staff set to be confirmed in the coming weeks. 

Basketball Ireland’s Academy Lead Martin McGettrick added: “The U17 Academy is constantly under review and therefore it’s an open-door squad. The coaches in the Basketball Ireland Academy Programme are continuously liaising with the Academy Leads in relation to players around the country. There are also a number of U17 players currently with the U18 squads and this reflects the number of players selected at the moment”.