International

Aug 03 2026

Preview: FIBA U16 Men's EuroBasket 2026 in Gevgelija, North Macedonia

The Ireland U16 MNT will set-off for Gevgelija, North Macedonia as they prepare for the FIBA U16 Youth EuroBasket 2026. They will kick off their tournament against the Netherlands on August 6th, with the games being broadcast live on FIBA's YouTube Channel and also on the Basketball Ireland website.

OUR OPPOSITION

Ireland, who are currently ranked 79th in the world, have been drawn into Group A of Division B for the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, where they will compete against four other nations looking to advance to the finals stage. Their opponents in the group will be the Netherlands (68th), Portugal (64th), Slovakia (72nd) and Montenegro (57th).

Starting on the 6th of August, they will be playing four matches in five days, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the quarter-finals. The third, fourth and fifth placed teams will go into classification games to decide the standings of the rest of the competition.

Ireland U16 MNT head coach Emer Howard expressed her excitement and optimism ahead of the tournament opener.

"We’re excited for what lies ahead. The competition will be tougher, but so will we. We trust our preparation, we believe in each other, and we’re ready to compete for our goals," said head coach Emer Howard.

SQUAD NEWS

Nojus Vasikauskas will be the only returning player from the U16 roster who took to the court in North Macedonia last year, averaging just over 20 minutes per game and scored 27 points over the course of the tournament.

Four squad members are currently playing their basketball abroad with Vasikauskas and Simonas Jonusas in Spain, while Tadgh Howard and Cormac Connaughton compete in the USA.

Brothers Darragh and Eoin O'Loughlin make up the Kestrels BC contingency, while Giovanni Osadolor represents Portlaoise Panthers. There will be seven Irish clubs represented, covering counties Kerry, Laois, Limerick, Louth and Sligo.

LAST TIME OUT

Ireland were drawn into a six-team group in 2025, where the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B was held in Skopje, North Macedonia. Incredible wins against Slovakia, North Macedonia and Cyprus earned Ireland third place in their group, leading them to be placed into the 9th-16th classification games.

Ireland's win against Great Britain put them in the 9th-12th bracket, but losses against Sweden and Denmark gave them the 12th place finish out of the 22 teams.

IRISH SQUAD

Brooklyn Conway (St. Brendan’s Tralee), Cormac Connaughton (Archbishop Stepinac NY, USA), Darragh O’Loughlin (Kestrels BC), Eoghan O’loughlin (Kestrels BC), Giovanni Osadolor (Portlaoise Panthers), Hubert Gocek (Limerick Celtics), Luke Foley (St. Mary’s Castleisland), Nojus Vasikauskas (Lucentium Academy, ESP), Oliver Ettery (Sligo All-Stars), Praise Pedro (Dundalk Ravens), Simonas Jonusas (CB Gran Canaria), ESP), Tadhh Howard (Thayer Academy, USA)