New Ireland head coach Michael Bree has named US-born Matt Zona in his squad for next week's FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifiers against Luxembourg and North Macedonia.
The 6’ 9" forward Zona, who has dual citizenship, was captain of Fordham Rams last season, playing 33 games in NCAA Division 1.
Prior to this he played with Notre Dame for four seasons.
Max Amadasun, who earned his first international cap in a friendly against Norway in July, is in line for his FIBA EuroBasket bow.
The 6’ 9" centre is now playing in Spain with Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa Baloncesto, having ran up impressive numbers in his senior year with Augusta University Jaguars, where he averaged a 16-point double-double and started 29 games last season.
Taiwo Badmus returns to the squad after injury ruled him out of the November 2024 and February 2025 windows of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 pre-qualifiers. Badmus also didn’t feature in the friendly games against Norway last summer.
Ireland travel to Luxembourg next Thursday in their pre-qualifiers opener, tipping off at 6.30pm. It is followed by a home game three days later at 5pm on Sunday 30 November at the National Basketball Arena.
Ireland are Group A in the first round of pre-qualifiers, alongside North Macedonia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Ireland's fixtures will take place over three windows in November, February/March and July.
The three group winners and the best-ranked second-placed teams will advance to the second round of pre-qualifiers, where they will be joined by eight teams from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European qualifiers first round.
It will be the first international for Ireland men’s head coach Michael Bree, having officially taken over the role on 1 September, and he said: "I am really excited to start my tenure as Ireland head coach.
"My staff did a great job during the summer in the friendly games against Norway, which have provided ideal preparation for our FIBA EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers next week.
"We have assembled a strong squad, with plenty experience, and I’m really looking forward to working with the players as we look to hit the ground running in our first game of the campaign away against Luxembourg."
Ireland men’s squad: Jordan Blount (Flexachem KCYMS), Rapolas Buivydas (Belfast Star), Sean Jenkins (Griffith College Éanna), Taiwo Badmus (Tindastoll Korfubolti, Iceland) Sean Flood (unattached), John Carroll (EJ Sligo All-Stars), Matt Treacy (Snaefell Basketball, Iceland), Sam Alajiki (Hapoel Galil Elion, Israel), Max Amadasun (Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa Baloncesto, Spain), Matt Zona (Fordham Rams, USA), Neal Quinn (BCM Gravelines Dunkerque, France), Adrian O’Sullivan (Ballincollig).
