DUBLIN – UIC rising junior Jordan Blount has been named to the Ireland senior men's team and will represent his country in the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in Serravalle, San Marino. This will be Blount's second stint with the senior men's national team and he is the squad's youngest player.

The 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries opens June 26 and runs through July 1. Ireland will compete in Group B with Andorra and Malta. Group A is comprised of San Marino, Norway, Moldova and Gibraltar. Blount's team will begin the tournament on Wednesday, July 27 against Malta at 8 a.m. CT. The second scheduled tilt takes place Thursday, July 28 against Andorra at 8 a.m. CT.

"I'm really excited for another opportunity to compete on the international stage and represent both my home nation of Ireland and UIC," said Blount. "We know that this has always been a highly competitive and intense tournament to play in. My teammates and I are preparing hard to come together to make a strong showing for our country."

"The devoted commitment shown this spring from each of our team members towards playing for Ireland has been complete and consistent," said Ireland senior men's coach Pete Strickland during the announcement. "[Assistant coach] Ioannis [Liapakis] and I look forward to coaching these unified players in tough international competition in the coming weeks."

Prior to departing for San Marino, Blount and his teammates will play a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg at Mardyke Arena in his hometown of Cork on June 22 and June 23.

During his first season of competition at UIC, Blount helped the Flames win 20 games for the first time since the 2003-04 season and reach the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. He was one of two UIC players to start all 36 games last season and he led the Flames and ranked eighth in the Horizon League with 6.8 rebounds per game. Blount tied for the team lead with four double-doubles and ranked second on UIC with 84 assists. He scored in double digits nine times and had a team-high seven double-digit rebounding efforts. Blount's 15 rebounds in a victory at Green Bay on February 16 were both a career high and the most in a single game for any Flame since the 2015-16 season.

"Jordan has developed a great deal during his time with us at UIC," said Flames head coach Steve McClain. "His love of the game is second to none and the passion and energy he brings on the court make everyone around him a better player. I am excited that he has the chance to represent Ireland this summer in a high-level FIBA tournament and I know he will make us all proud."

Last week it was announced that Blount and the Flames will open the 2018-19 regular season in the Gotham Classic. UIC will play road games at Notre Dame, at 2018 NCAA Tournament participant Radford and at Duquesne, and host William & Mary at the UIC Pavilion.

For more information about Basketball Ireland and the 2018 FIBA European Championships for Small Countries, please click the links in the blue box above.