Kerry footballer Kieran Donaghy is among the 20 players named in head coach Pete Strickland's first Irish basketball squad.
The Tralee Warriors player is one of two players from the Kerry club involved, and will be joined team-mate Ryan Leonard, with eight of the 12 Men’s Super League teams are represented.
Donaghy returned to play senior basketball for Tralee last year and was named Most Valuable Player in the National Intermediate Cup final of January 2015.
He committed to the club's return to the top tier and admitted that the sport gave him a “new lease of life”.
Kerry’s final group game in Division 1 is at home to Tyrone on 2 April, and Strickland will return to Ireland in April where he - along with assistant coach Ioannis Liopakis - will bring the squad together for their first training session.
Donaghy’s involvement with basketball has previously ensured little disruption to his Kerry commitments as the Super League season runs from the last weekend in October to the middle of March, and has represented his country in the past.
“Preparing for the 2018 Small Nations Tournament demands that we now begin the process of building a team that all Irish basketball players, indeed, all of Ireland, can be proud of,” Strickland said.
“It is my avowed goal to make this Irish team a living embodiment to teamwork, hard work and basketball acumen that all of Europe must contend with.”
Four Irish players who are currently playing basketball overseas also feature on the list, while Templeogue's Neil Randolph, brother to Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren, also makes the squad.
Ireland’s 20-man squad: Adrian O'Sullivan (UCC Demons), Cian Sullivan (La Salle University), Ciaran O'Sullivan (UCC Demons), Ciaran Roe (Pyrobel Killester), Colin O'Reilly (UCC Demons), Conor Meany (UCD Marian), Daniel James (UCD Marian), Eoghain Kiernan (Pyrobel Killester), Issac Westbrooks (Griffith Swords Thunder), Jason Killeen (Templeogue), John Carroll (University of Hartford), Jordan Blount (University of Illinois), Keelan Cairns (Belfast Star), Kieran Donaghy (Garvey’s Tralee Warriors), Lorcan Murphy (Templeogue), Neil Randolph (Templeogue), Paul Dick (most recently Fuenlabrada, Madrid), Paul Freeman (SSE Airtricity Moycullen), Roy Downey (UCC Demons), Ryan Leonard (Garvey’s Tralee Warriors)
