Fitzpatrick boost with full panel

HEAD coach of the Irish basketball team, Gerry Fitzpatrick, has announced his squad for next week’s friendly against England and the European Championship semi-final round games against Germany, Croatia and former Macedonia (FYROM).

FIBA rules permit ten players for international competitions, with 12 named for the England game.

For the first time in this semi-final round, a full panel is available, a relief for Fitzpatrick in his first stint as head coach after taking over from Bill Dooley.

Cal Bowdler will make his debut for Ireland on Monday against England and is available for all three semi-final round games.

6’10” Bowdler was transferred from Pallacanestro Bologna to Montepascai Siena in the First Division Italian League last week.

He played with Atlanta Hawks for the 1999/00 and 2001/02 seasons, having made number 17 in the NBA draft. Bowdler was granted Irish citizenship through his maternal grandfather.

Mike Mitchell, who was crucial in the first leg of the semi-final round, will be available against England, Germany and Croatia, but club commitments with Avitos Giessen will see his return to Germany before the Macedonia clash. Mitchell top-scored on 17 points in the 75-68 victory over FYROM last November.

John O’Connell has been named on the squad against England and will make up the tenth player for the game against Macedonia. He will rejoin the Irish team in Zagreb, before they fly to Skopje, then Ohrid on the Albanian border. Commitments with London Towers will keep the long-standing member of the Irish team out of the German and Croatian games.

Glenn Sekunda, who made his debut against Cyprus in January and shone in Ireland’s 67-74 victory, is available for all four games, along with captain Jay Larranaga, Marty Conlon, Tim Kennedy and Jimmy Moran. Moran was injured for Ireland’s games against Bosnia and Cyprus in January.

Dan Callahan, who was unavailable for the first leg of the semi-final round due to contract obligations, is now signed with Roseto Basket in Italy and is being released for his national team duties.

Dart Killester’s Damien Sealy and Sx3 Star’s Adrian Fulton and Gareth Maguire have also been named in the Irish squad.

After the resignation of Billy Donlon, Fulton will be under extra pressure as the only point guard on the squad. Maguire will play in the friendly against England and is on the reserve panel for the three semi-finals.

There was no room on the squad for Demon’s Shane Coughlan or Neptune’s Stephen McCarthy. Michael Bree’s late signing to the French league affects his availability for the November games, while Mick Richardson, who signed for Birmingham Bullets, did not make it, nor did Sx3 Star’s John Leahy.

Ireland’s home game against Germany on November 20 was given a boost with the news that NBA Star Dirk Nowitzki will not be released for Germany’s European Championship games. Nowitzki plays for Dallas Mavericks and was crucial in Germany’s bronze medal at the World Championships.

Team: Gareth Maguire, Sx3 Star; Cal Bowdler, Montepascai Siena; Adrian Fulton, Sx3 Star; Damien Sealy, Dart Killester; Marty Conlon, SS Basket Napoli; Jay Larranaga, Canarias Telecom; Tim Kennedy, Deportiva Ovarense; Mike Mitchell, Avitos Giessen; Jim Moran, Canarias Telecom; John O’Connell, Kinder London Towers; Dan Callahan, Roseto Basket, Italy; Glen Sekunda, Girona, Spain.

Coach: Gerry Fitzpatrick; asst. coach: Roger Kelliher.

The top two placed teams in each group, plus the four best teams placed third in each group, will qualify for the final round in Sweden from September 5 to 14.