Different squad, same defensive mentality as Scott Roth returns to Tasmania

“Different but exciting’ is how Tasmania JackJumpers Head Coach Scott Roth has summed up the 2023/24 playing group as he touched down in Hobart on Tuesday.

Roth arrived ‘home’ to Tasmania to pick up his new CX-8 Wheels from Mazda Hobart, following his two month off season trip to the U.S where he was able to relax and recoup after NBL23.

“I'm looking forward to the season and I think the longer rest and not having to rush to get back. The last two years have been amazing, but we’ve been on a treadmill.

“I mean, it's just been nonstop and so kind of pump the brakes a little bit to get through these, uh, last few months and just kind of step back and be on a normal schedule. I think it’ll do everyone wonders” Roth said.

Asked whether the squad assembled for NBL24 was the best yet for the JackJumpers, Roth said that remains to be seen.

“I don't really look at it as the best roster. I just try to think of any incremental improvements that we can make and ultimately, it'll come down to how well we defend and, and how quickly we build chemistry.

“We have four or five guys we have to integrate and you have to have some luck and not have injuries and those kind of things.

But, I’m happy with some of the things that we were trying to address and I know the guys that are coming back next week are excited to get back in market.

“I think obviously Crawford's going to be a buzz. He’s got some unique skill sets.

“Obviously everyone's going to talk about his height, but, really he's been a heck of a basketball player for quite a long time. To go over to Turkey and lead that league in scoring and play against probably eight teams that are in Euro league or Euro Cup or Champions League and be able to do what he's done over there, it’s very impressive.

“Milton Doyle raved about him and playing against at the end of the season they played together so I think it'll be a good combination of the back court” Roth said.

“Those two guys should be exciting to watch. And then you have an athletic guy like Lee now that can be on the rim and help do some things so yeah it looks different but it’ll be exciting to watch” Roth said.

Despite 6 changes from last year’s group that reached the post-season, Roth said the JackJumpers style won’t wain from the gritty, defense-led foundations laid in the first two years of the club.

“I think it's been proven not only here, but anywhere you go in the world. The best defensive teams end up getting into the finals, and the grand finals. There's an anomaly every now and then that happens, but in general, that's what's happened to us the last the two years.

“We've been in the top four and we finished in the top four. We will be a defensive mind team. I think it’s representative of this island, of the toughness and the work ethic that the people have here and expect from us now. These guys coming in know that they're going to have to live up to that expectation” Roth said.

“I talked to him with Majok Deng yesterday, he had 39 points and 19 rebounds [in NBL1]. He was a little excited on the phone, but I just reminded him ‘you won't play for me unless you rebound and defend and the other stuff will happen’. He took that on board really well and he understands coming here is going to be a different environment for him, but he’s willing to embrace that too” Roth said.

The Australian contingent of the JackJumpers squad will take part in a mini camp next week before Deng and Junior Madut, and Walter Brown head into camp for their respective national squads for the FIBA World Cup qualifying.

Tasmania JackJumpers official preseason will begin in August.

WATCH SCOTT ROTH'S FULL PRESS CONFRENCE HERE: https://youtu.be/GqeiiYshvfk