Neptune’s 6’11” centre Eoin Nelson could earn his first Ireland cap after he and Belfast Star’s Conor Quinn were drafted into Michael Bree’s squad for Sunday’s FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers game against Group A top seeds North Macedonia at the National Basketball Arena.
25-year-old Nelson was named in the 20-man extended squad for July friendlies with Norway, but didn’t make the final 12. He’s played all nine Domino’s Men’s Super League fixtures for Energywise Ireland Neptune so far this season, averaging 12.4 points per game.
Conor Quinn played both those summer fixtures against Norway and featured five times in Ireland’s most recent FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Pre-Qualifiers campaign. The 30-year-old has been one of Belfast Star’s key men once again this season, as they top the Domino’s Men’s Super League table, with the shooting guard posting an 11 point average so far.
Injury ruled John Carroll out of Thursday’s 89-77 defeat to Luxembourg and the EJ Sligo All-Stars player won’t be fit in time for this weekend’s fixture. Max Amadasun was also an unused sub on Thursday and he remains an injury doubt.
Ireland head coach Michael Bree said: “Eoin came through the Irish underage set-up with our U18’s and U20’s and he’s picked up great experience playing college basketball in the US for a number of years, before coming home last season. At 6’11” he brings size to the equation and that will help against a very physical North Macedonia team. Conor is a vastly experienced international and it’s great to be able to call upon someone like that for a crucial game. We now have a squad of 13 prepping for this game and we’ll assess everyone over the coming days before finalising our 12 for Sunday.”
Bree added: “We’re really looking forward to coming home to a sold out National Basketball Arena, our supporters are always incredible and I am sure they will play their part come Sunday. North Macedonia represent a tough test, they’re the top seeds in the group and had a great win over Azerbaijan on matchday one, so we’re under no illusions about the task facing us. I take plenty of encouragement from the last three quarters against Luxembourg and trust that the work we’ve done in practice over the last few days and the coming days will pay dividends, as we seek out a win this weekend.”
Tip off at the National Basketball Arena is 1700, a game which is live on TG4.
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), Matt Treacy (Snaefell Basketball, Iceland), Sam Alajiki (Hapoel Galil Elion, Israel), Max Amadasun (Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa Baloncesto, Spain), Matt Zona (Cheshire Phoenix, UK), Neal Quinn (BCM Gravelines Dunkerque, France), Adrian O’Sullivan (Ballincollig), Conor Quinn (Belfast Star), Eoin Nelson (Energywise Ireland Neptune).
Ireland fell to a 89-77 defeat to Luxembourg in their FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers opener. Ireland trailed by as much as 18 at one stage in the first half, but battled back to lead by four points in the final quarter, before a strong finish from the home side saw them take victory. New Ireland head coach Michael Bree said his team’s performance in the last three quarters is “something to build on”.
Taiwo Badmus led scoring for Ireland with 24 points, but a clinical shooting performance from Luxembourg’s Ben Kovac proved to be difference, as he tallied 38 points for the victors. He was backed up by Olivier Vujakovic, who shot 5/7 from the three point line, to end on 19 points.
Neal Quinn got the opening score of the game with a layup, but eight points from Kovac helped the home side establish an early 8-3 lead. Jordan Blount’s three point jump shot at the top of the arc settled things for Ireland.
However Kovac’s third three had Luxembourg 18-8 up with six minutes gone, Kovac with 13 points at that stage. Luxembourg rattled off five more points, before their streak was ended by Sam Alajiki’s three, to see Ireland trail 23-11. Luxembourg were clinical from the three point line in the opening quarter, converting 54% of their attempts, another from Max Logelin helped Luxembourg to a 26-11 first quarter lead.
A three from Ireland captain Sean Flood opened proceedings in the second quarter, but Luxembourg were 33-15 up three minutes in, following another three from the potent Kovac. Ireland responded with a 12-point run to drag themselves back into it, including a lovely deep three from Blount in the middle of it, while Flood rattled off seven points in the sequence, to leave it poised at 33-27.
Sam Alajiki’s dunk with three minutes to go in the second quarter made it a five point game, 34-29. A neat corner three from Badmus saw Ireland 41-37 behind, but a pair of Kovac layup’s either side of Ivan Delgado’s basket had Luxembourg up by 10 at the break, 47-37. Kovac’s tally at 22 by half-time.
An Alajiki three gave Ireland the perfect start to the third quarter. Debutant Matt Zona’s putback and a basket from Sean Jenkins had Ireland within three, 59-56. With two minutes to go a Zona three made it a two-point game 61-59. A Rapolas Buivydas layup had Ireland level at 61 apiece, before Vujakovic’s three edged Luxembourg 64-61 ahead by the end of the third quarter.
Ireland hit the front for the first time since the opening basket, 65-64, following back-to-back scores by Badmus and Buivydas in the opening minute of the fourth. Three’s from Flood, Badmus and Zona followed, to help Ireland into a 74-70 lead three minutes in, the prolific Kovac dispatching two three’s of his own in that spell for Luxembourg, to keep them very much in it.
A Badmus layup with 6’45” to go had Ireland 76-72 up, before Luxembourg went on a 10 point run. Vujakovic’s fifth from three point line, nudged them back in front, 77-76, with Kovac and Clancy Rugg also getting on the scoresheet after that. A Badmus free throw broke the home side’s streak, albeit briefly.
A corner three from Philippe Gutenkauf with a minute to go made it 87-77, but the final say came from Kovac, who dispatched two free throws to wrap up victory.
Ireland head coach Michael Bree said: “The start was really, really difficult for us, I don’t think we were ready at the start. I mean the percentages-wise those guys shot the ball fantastic, it’s not consistent with who they are as individuals based on the information we knew. We made an adjustment, we came back, we fought back to get the lead, I thought we were in the right spot, but being down by so much, I think 18 points – it’s such a big gap to recover emotionally and energy-wise, we just couldn’t do it today.”
Bree added: “We showed what we could do in the last three quarters in the game, it doesn’t matter, but we won it. But it is something to build on, we are three days into what we’re trying to do. Luxembourg at home played great, one guy (Ben Kovac) has 38 points – that’s amazing. (Oliver) Vujakovic also had 5/7 three’s, it’s a shooting game, it’s a make or miss game, sometimes it happens like that and today was one of those days.”
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 26-11, Q2: 21-26, Q3: 17-24, Q4: 25-16
Game Scores:
Q1: 26-11, Q2: 47-37, Q3: 64-61, Q4: 89-77
Luxembourg:
Malcolm Kreps (4), Dino Ceman (0), Max Logelin (3), Philippe Gutenkauf (12), Alex Laurent (0), Joe Kalmes (0), Ben Kovac (38), Davy David Rocha (0), Oliver Vujakovic (19), Christopher Jack (DNP), Clancy Rugg (11), Ivan Delgado (2)
Ireland:
Adrian O’Sullivan (2), Rapolas Buivydas (9), Sean Jenkins (2), Sean Flood (15), Jordan Blount (6), John Carroll (DNP), Max Amadasun (DNP), Taiwo Badmus (24), Matt Treacy (DNP), Matt Zona (8), Neal Quinn (2), Sam Alajiki (9)
FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers Results
Thursday 27th November, 2025
Luxembourg 89-77 Ireland
FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers Fixtures
Sunday 30th November, 2025
Ireland v North Macedona, 1700, National Basketball Arena, Live on TG4
Friday 27th February, 2026
Ireland v Azebaijan, 1930, National Basketball Arena, Live on TG4 Player and App
Monday 2nd March, 2026
Ireland v Luxembourg, 1700, National Basketball Arena, Live on TG4
Thursday 2nd July, 2026
North Macedonia v Ireland, Venue/Time TBC
Sunday 5th July, 2026
Azerbaijan v Ireland, Venue/Time TBC
