Heaphy and Downey in line for international debuts, as Keenan names 17-man FIBA EuroBasket squad

C&S Neptune pair Cian Heaphy and Roy Downey have been drafted into Mark Keenan’s 17-man extended squad for next week’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers games with Switzerland and Cyprus and are in line for their first senior international caps.

 C&S Neptune's Cian Heaphy goes for layup during the InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy National Cup final against Garvey's Tralee Warriors

Heaphy was selected in the extended squad for last November’s games, but wasn’t chosen for the pared down final 12. It’s a first FIBA EuroBasket call-up for Downey. Downey did travel to China in 2015 for three games with an Irish representative side, Hibernia, however they were uncapped fixtures. Both Heaphy and Downey played crucial roles in getting C&S Neptune to last month’s InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy National Cup final.

“The call-ups for Cian and Roy are richly deserved, they’ve been performing to a very high level for their club this season. We’ve a strong mix of domestic and foreign-based players and narrowing it down to the final 12 this weekend will be a difficult one, which is a testament to the depth we’re now building.

“We’re just eight days away from our first game of the February window, with a trip to Switzerland and then our home game against Cyprus on Sunday week. We’ve got a 1-1 record from the November games, which leave us very much in the shake-up in the group and we’re targeting more wins, as we look to reach the next stage of FIBA EuroBasket qualification.” -  Mark Keenan, Ireland senior men's head coach

 Ireland senior men's head coach Mark Keenan

Keenan will announce his final 12-man squad this Sunday. Ireland will play Switzerland in Fribourg on February 24th and then host Cyprus at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin on February 27^th. Ireland started their FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers campaign last November with a 81-73 win over Cyprus in Nicosia, followed by a 97-70 home defeat against Austria.  

Purchase tickets for Ireland v Cyprus here.

Ireland senior men’s squad:

Kyle Hosford (UCC Demons) (captain), Ciaran Roe (Killester), Sean Flood (Omonia Nicosia), Adrian O’Sullivan (Tradehouse Central Ballincollig), Cian Heaphy (C&S Neptune), Roy Downey (C&S Neptune), Conor Quinn (Belfast Star), Neil Randolph (Griffith College Templeogue), Lorcan Murphy (Griffith College Templeogue), Eoin Quigley (Garvey’s Tralee Warriors), Taiwo Badmus (U.M.F Tindastoll Sauoarkrokur), Keelan Cairns (Tradehouse Central Ballincollig)

Jordan Blount (UMF Sindri Hofn), John Carroll (Albacete), James Gormley (Baloncestro Aguimes), Will Hanley (Unattached), Brian Fitzpatrick (Odessa BC)

 Jordan Blount among the 17-man squad for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualfiers against Switzerland and Cyprus

February Fixtures:

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers First Round

24^th February 2022

Switzerland v Ireland 1830, Site Sportif Saint-Leonard, Fribourg (Streamed live on Ireland.basketball and YouTube)

27^th February 2022

Ireland v Cyprus, 1700, National Basketball Arena, Dublin (Streamed live on Ireland.basketball and YouTube).