Preview: FIBA U18 Men's Youth EuroBasket

Ireland have arrived in Skopje, North Macedonia ahead of their FIBA U18 Men's Youth EuroBasket campaign, which begins against hosts North Macedonia at 17:30 on Friday on the FIBA YouTube Channel and Basketball Ireland website.

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OUR OPPOSITION 

Ireland have been drawn in Group 'C' alongside North Macedonia (36^th), Bosnia & Herzegovina (58^th) Czechia (45^th), Ukraine (68th) and Cyprus (90th). Ireland are currently ranked 88^th following the 2023 competitions.

They will face each other once over five game days starting on Friday, July 26^th before the top two teams in each of four groups advance to the quarter-finals. The third and fourth place teams will go into the 9-16^th classification games, with the bottom team in each group entering the 17th-22nd classification games.

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SQUAD NEWS 

There are four players who return from the squad which competed a year ago - Captain Declan Gbinigie (Titans BC), Jacob ‘Kuba’ Malecki (Gill St. Bernard’s, NJ), Victor Okojie (Wesley Christian School, KY) and Joshua Osayanrhion (Garvey's Tralee Warriors). Okojie led the team in rebounds last year with a healthy 5.3 per game. 

Two more make the step up from the U16 squad for the first time – Adam Charles (Éanna BC) and Darragh Horkan (Limerick Lions). 

Eslewhere Harry Scully (Dublin Lions) and Fortune Igbokwe (Titans BC) both bring international experience, while Matiss Ogle (BC Tauras) has come through the Basketball Ireland Academy Programme. 

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VIEW FROM THE BENCH

Speaking ahead of the opening game, assistant coach Emer Howard said: “These guys have a sense of duty to the jersey and that's important when you're facing into tournament basketball like this.  The North Macedonian crowd are loud, very vibrant and it's going to be an amazing atmosphere this team is stepping into on Friday evening. We're really excited about that baptism of fire so to speak. Our guys really rise to the challenge like that. I fullu believe that the more intensity and adversity we face - the better this group will be."

Niall Berry is head coach of the team - joined on the bench by assistants Howard, and Trevor Moore, Head of Strength and Conditioning Declan Berry, Assistant S&C Jonathan Ely, Physio Igor Markievicz and Team Manager, Lorraine McGinley. 

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LAST TIME OUT

Ireland finished 20th in this competition in 2023 with a 1-6 record. That win came against Kosovo in the group phase, offsetting losses against Romania, Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, Switzerland and Georgia.

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FIXTURES

Ireland v North Macedonia, Friday, July 26^th, 17:30, Skopje (MKD) 

WATCH LIVE

Ireland v Czechia, Saturday, July 27^th, 20:00, Skopje (MKD) 

WATCH LIVE

Ireland v Cyprus, Sunday, July 28^th,  20:00, Skopje (MKD) 

WATCH LIVE

Ireland v Ukraine, Tuesday, July 30^th, 10:00, Skopje (MKD) 

WATCH LIVE

Ireland v Bosnia & Herzegovina, Wednesday, July 31st, 12:30, Skopje (MKD) 

WATCH LIVE

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Ireland squad:

Adam Charles (Éanna BC), Darragh Horkan (Limerick Lions), Harry Scully (Dublin Lions), Fortune Igbokwe (Titans BC), Declan Gbinigie (Titans BC), Joshua Osayanrhion (Tralee Warriors), Matiss Ogle (BC Tauras), Luke Seltzer (Pierson High School, NY), Ebenezer Ehigie (Westtown School, PA), Stanley Njekwe (Gill St. Bernard’s, NJ), Jacob ‘Kuba’ Malecki (Gill St. Bernard’s, NJ), Victor Okojie (Wesley Christian School, KY).