Aidan McGrath ’29 made an impact on the international basketball stage this summer as he helped lead Ireland’s U16 men’s team to a strong showing in the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B Tournament in Skopje, North Macedonia.  

One of Ireland’s most consistent contributors, the 6-foot-6-inch forward averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for head coach Emer Howard’s talented squad. From the opening tip, McGrath brought energy, size, and a scorer’s mentality to the tournament, which was held from Aug. 7 until Aug. 16. He displayed an ability to attack the basket, battle on the boards, and knock down free throws in big moments — highlighted by a standout 25-point, 8-rebound performance against Cyprus, where he went a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. Even on nights when his shot wasn’t falling, McGrath found ways to impact the game, whether that was crashing the glass for extra possessions or using his defensive presence in the paint to slow down opponents. The rising ninth grader was a strong contender for MVP in Division B. 

A Quincy native, McGrath’s proud Irish roots run deep; he qualifies for Ireland’s national teams through his grandparents, who hail from South Mayo. 

“Aidan’s game is mature beyond his years,” said Evan Carlson, head coach of Thayer’s boys varsity basketball team. “He's just a really good basketball player, and we’re thrilled to have him with us. It will be exciting to see what he does over the next four years and beyond.” 

McGrath’s success in the FIBA (which translates into English as the International Basketball Federation, the governing body of the sport) tournament is a testament to the young man’s consistent production and leadership on the court and continues Thayer’s proud history of student-athletes competing at the international level.