Following an impressive albeit losing effort in Kosovo, Matt Treacy wants him and his team mates to take the next step forward against Switzerland in Sunday’s 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifier. With Treacy plying his trade in the Alpine nation with Gold Coast Wallabies, he hopes to provide some inside info to his national team
The performance in Kosovo was better than expected. Ireland’s men’s basketball team was expecting a tough battle on the road in their 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifier. Despite being heavily unfancied, they ran the hosts close and even led in the fourth quarter. Matt Treacy wants more from him and his team mates this Sunday against Switzerland.
The inside man
Matt Treacy has a unique perspective on Sunday’s battle in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifier between Ireland and Switzerland. Unlike the rest of his side, Treacy plays his club basketball in Switzerland. Still, he doesn’t expect to offer too much inside intelligence to his side for this game.
“Nothing too out there. I’ve a couple of team mates who played with some of the guys growing up. I’m asking questions here and there. We’d be pretty familiar already with the Swiss. It’s an exciting match-up for us,” Treacy said.
“I’m enjoying it. I’m in Zurich, it’s a lovely city. The league is pretty strong and I’m enjoying that too. Playing in Switzerland for two friendly games last summer got me on their radar.”
Treacy signed with Gold Coast Wallabies in Switzerland’s second tier this past summer. His numbers have been good and he’s enjoying life there.
“It’s not awfully dissimilar to Ireland. It’s a pretty small community and all the teams know each other. The guys are familiar with each other’s games. It’s been an adjustment. Coming in as a foreign player, there’s a bigger expectation on my shoulders,” Treacy said.
“I’m off to a good start and I’ve had good form. Right now, we’re fourth in our league and well in the playoff hunt.
More than showing up
Ireland’s campaign in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers is its first ever entry into the competition. The prior campaign in 2025 EuroBasket qualification ended a length absence from competitive international play.
For Matt Treacy, being there isn’t enough. He wants Ireland to show that it can be relevant at this level of basketball. The best way to do that is to get more players competing at higher levels.
“Right now, it’s exciting to be on this stage with Ireland. We’ve got a young team now that’s looking to develop. We’re looking to come in and get results,” Treacy said.
“With guys coming out of college in the States, a lot of them will want to go pro in Europe. That’s huge for them but also for the game in Ireland. It helps the team to have that kind of experience on the floor. I’d be confident that will be the case over the next couple of years.”
Treacy said the step up in competition for him this season had already improved him as a player.
“My head coach has been great. Having guys like that impact me every day, making small adjustments, it’s great. Being an import, I find the ball in my hands a bit. I’ve no choice but to find different ways to score and move the ball,” he said.
“For now I just want to finish out the season strong. The goal is to get through the playoffs and win the league. My focus is on the team right now and I’ll let the summer take care of itself.”
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What’s in a name?
We can’t really let this one go without some kind of explanation. Switzerland is a landlocked country. Despite this, Matt Treacy plays for a basketball team called Gold Coast Wallabies. That doesn’t exactly fit as a name on the first look.
“The president of the club played professionally in Australia. The club was based on the coast of Lake Zurich. His idea was to set it up as the Wallabies like it was in Australia. My agent called me in the summer and said he had an offer from the Gold Coast Wallabies in Switzerland,” Treacy said.
“We’re all in on the Australia and Switzerland combination with the club. Last year I played in Ireland so this was going to be an experience, wherever I went. This was a perfect transition.”
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