Round 3 GAME PREVIEW

Round 3 –  Tasmania JackJumpers v Illawarra Hawks

Thursday 12 October, 7.30pm tip-off

MyState Bank Arena

Watch LIVE on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel

State of Play

The Tasmania JackJumpers have stamped themselves as the team to beat following a perfect Round 2 record that saw them overcome two of the League’s powerhouses in Sydney Kings and Melbourne United.

The team have now regrouped ahead of the second home game of the year and will be looking to continue that momentum as they host the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday night. Star import Milton Doyle worth his weight in gold in clutch performances in Round 2, spearheading the come from behind win in Melbourne and notching up 21 points in the first home win of the season over the Kings.

The JackJumpers will be looking to diversify their scoring options with Doyle set to be a key target in the opposition’s scout.

Tasmania has had the mantle over the Hawks in recent match ups, winning 4 of the last 5 games between the sides.

Illawarra have turned the page on last season and are 1-1 to start NBL24. The Hawks shot 65.9% from inside the three-point line as they piled on the points against an undermanned South East Melbourne.

The JackJumpers currently sit 4^th on the ladder, Hawks in 8^th position.

Last time they met  

NBL23 ROUND 18, February 4 2023 – WIN Entertainment Centre

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 63 def by TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 87

Illawarra Hawks had a season to forget in 2022/23 which culminated in a 24 point loss to the JackJumpers in the final regular season round of the NBL23 season.

Scott Roth tested some combinations and rested some starters ahead of the finals campaign, with all 12 suiting players taking the court. Milton Doyle had a double double with 20 points/ 10 assists plus 8 rebounds for good measure. Jack McVeigh chipped in 12 points while Will Magnay found some form with 13 points. 

SRT Logistics Coaches’ take

Scott Roth said “they’re the highest scoring team in the league at this point, 97-98 points a game and they play at a tremendous pace, probably even faster than the Kings. And they have multiple scoring guards who can do some damage, and Froling has been a problem for us in the past with his size.

“They’re going to p[lay as fast as they can possibly play, it’ll be a bit of a contrasting style but we just need to take care of business especially at home”.

‘Keeping teams to around that 80 mark is when you give yourself the best chance of getting the win. Defence is what we’re built on so we just need to be true to our identity and control what we can control in our building” Roth said. 

Ins & outs 

Tasmania JackJumpers: Will Magnay won’t suit up for the JackJumpers as he continues to recover from a foot injury sustained in the off season.

Illawarra Hawks: Illawarra's Mason Peatling is facing an extended stint on the sidelines with a cheekbone fracture, while Hyunjung Lee is fighting to prove his fitness ahead of Round 3.

“It’s unfortunate for Mason – I thought he was doing really well. I’ve been really happy with him, we really needed someone like him, just a solid role player who knows who he is.

“We’re going to miss him” Hawks Head Coach Jacob Jackomas said on Wednesday.

Opponents on the Radar 

New Hawks import Justin Robinson poured in 26 points in the Hawks first win of the season over South East Melbourne last week. While returning players Tyler Harvey (19.5 PPG) and Sam Froling (14.5 PPG and 10.3 RPG) also made solid contributions and will be scoring threats if they find open shots.