Portlaoise pair Umeh and Ogedegbe set to line out for Ireland Under 17s

IRELAND Under-17 men’s basketball team head coach, Ciaran Kiveney is delighted to have Portlaoise Panthers pair, Jayden Umeh and Desmond Ogedegbe as part of his squad that will travel to Cardiff for the 2025 Four Nations tournament this weekend.

Taking place at the Archers Arena and Sports Hall at Cardiff's Met Cyncoed Campus, the competition will see Ireland open up their campaign against England on Saturday at 1pm before they face off against Wales later that evening at 6pm and Scotland on Sunday at noon.

Both Umeh and Ogedegbe have taken huge strides with Portlaoise over the past couple of years and also played a major part in the success of St. Mary’s CBS in this season’s All-Ireland Under-19A Boys Schools Cup, Ogedegbe chalking up 18 points in their 67-58 victory over St. Muredach’s College in the final back in January.

The Portlaoise school also made it as far as the All-Ireland Under-19A Boys League final where they were pipped 61-58 by Coláiste Éanna.

In the quarter-finals of that campaign, Umeh drained three shots from beyond the arc in the closing four minutes to see them surmount a huge test from St. Andrew’s before emerging the team’s top scorer on 16 points in their victory over St. Muredach’s in the penultimate rounds.

Ireland Under-17 boss, Kiveney certainly appreciates the huge potential both Umeh and Ogedegbe possess and is tipping them to deliver strongly on the international stage this year.

“I’m delighted to have Jayden and Desmond coming to the Under-17 tournament with us,” Kiveney told the *****Laois Nationalist*****.

“Jayden’s a phenomenal talent who just missed out narrowly on final Under-16 team last year and I feel this year, with the Under-17s, is a time were he’s going to be able to shine.

“I’ve had previous experience coaching Jayden with the Midlands team and also during my time in Portlaoise. He’s a very accomplished player, a very good three-point shooter who’s very composed on the ball.

“He’s exactly what we need in the point guard or secondary point guard position, which is what we’re hoping to play him as. His length is phenomenal for the position he plays, so I’m very much looking forward to having him on the team.

“Desmond is a phenomenally athletic player and I think we could see that in the All-Ireland Schools Finals this year where he had 18 points.

“He also played with me before with the Midlands team as well as in Portlaoise. He can play the 3 or the 4, he can defend the 4, and that’s exactly what we need. He’s versatile, athletic, fast and we’ll certainly be utilising that at the Four Nations,” he stressed.

Both players will be hoping to deliver a strong showing on the Four Nations stage in Cardiff this weekend as they look to stake their claim for a place among the Portlaoise Panthers’ Men’s National League team.

Jack Scully’s squad enjoyed their most successful season in 2024/25, making it all the way to the President’s National Cup Final and the Division One title play-off, where they were undone on both counts by a Limerick Celtics side that suffered only one defeat throughout the entire season.

And the Portlaoise boss is adamant that both Umeh and Ogedegbe will soon be making that step up to the club’s first team.

“Desmond and Jayden have improved massively over the last 12 months. Both of them were involved in the (Ireland) Under-16 panel last year and, while neither of them made the last 12, I feel that both of them have really improved physically over the last couple of years.

“They are definitely two of the best Under-17s in the country at the moment. Neither of them don’t play any other sport. Basketball is their priority and they’re reaping the rewards of their work over the last year.

“Both of them will be a big part of the Portlaoise Panthers men’s team going forward as well. They’re really not that far off making that jump either,” insisted Scully.

This weekend’s competition is the latest in a series of Four Nations tournaments that have involved Portlaoise players this summer, starting with last month’s Under-15 event in Manchester that saw Panthers pair, Mia Delaney and Prince Iheme help their country to runner-up finishes against hosts, England.

Indeed, Delaney played a significant role in victories for the Ireland girls over Wales and Scotland, while Iheme emerged the top scorer for the Ireland boys against Wales with 16 points before carding a double double of 13 points and 15 rebounds against the Scots.

Two weeks later their clubmate, Evan Branagan helped Ireland to a third-place finish at the Under-14 Boys Four Nations Tournament, averaging 10 points in the five games they contested in East Kilbride, Scotland.