Tough times are why we have good guys – Roth

The Tasmania JackJumpers went from building ominous momentum in NBL26 to having three crucial players suffer cruel blows, but Scott Roth helped build a culture to thrive in tough times which will now stand them in good stead. 

By the time the JackJumpers arrived in Perth for HoopsFest two weeks ago, things were building nicely with them having won four of the last six games including fresh off beating the top-of-the-table Adelaide 36ers on their home floor.

They then had a typically gruelling match up with Melbourne United in Perth and were a good chance to win again until captain Will Magnay landed awkwardly on his foot and would end up suffering a season-ending toe injury.

Still, Majok Deng was ready and able to step into the starting group ahead of a trip to Sydney five days later but then his night was over just as it started when he took a heavy fall and suffered a scary concussion.

If that wasn't bad enough, star import and leading scorer Bryce Hamilton injured a knee late in the third quarter and that proved to be a ruptured ACL meaning his season was over too.

So given Sean Macdonald's season was over before it started and now Magnay, Deng and Hamilton were all out, it was quite the challenge up against the fresh and healthy Illawarra Hawks at MyState Bank Arena on Saturday night.

The JackJumpers might not have won the game, but they put in a hell of a fighting performance to put a scare into the defending champions and only lose by 10 as they did every Tasmanian proud.

Coach Roth wasn’t surprised by that, but he sure was proud and it just goes to show to him why the policy of recruiting people with good character above everything else continues to pay dividends.

"I just believe that we've got good guys, that's been my No. 1 thing for the last five years is just picking good dudes that will come here to work, and buy into what we're doing," Roth said.

"It says a lot about the group and my coaching staff's been incredible and we've just got good dudes, and there's just no giving in.

"We might get smacked around over these next few weeks, but it won't be by a lack of effort or a lack of being prepared, and we'll stay with our standards and I'll hold them accountable and we'll do what we need to get done."

By the time Roth and the JackJumpers got through that game on Saturday night, it was time to take a deep breath given they were just processing the loss of their captain when they saw their most experienced NBL player suffer a nasty fall, and then lost their leading scorer.

That was quite a lot to process but after the game, Roth couldn’t help but beam with pride about how everyone within the team conducted themselves to shake it off and do the club and the state of Tasmania proud with their tough showing against the Hawks.

"Listen, this has been an emotional 48 hours for this group and obviously it started with Magnay and the crushing blow to him, and then we move into Majok and he hits his head in the first 30 seconds of that game and that really shook a lot of us until we got to half-time to kind of regroup," Roth said.

"Then we get the news about Bryce and so it's been quite an emotional rollercoaster with these guys, but they just keep showing up and doing the right thing.

"I was lucky enough when I started this franchise to build it hopefully in a way that could weather a time like this right now for us, and the culture and standards are the standards, and that's what we'll fall back onto.

"It might not be pretty but our guys will show up to do the right thing across the board and compete, and that's why we have our culture and that's why we built it for being in a storm."

Despite everything the JackJumpers have gone through and will now be going through once they resume their season this Friday night on the road to the Cairns Taipans, they do remain in sixth position.

The JackJumpers hold a 12-16 record with five matches in the regular season remaining to be ahead of the chasing Hawks who are now 10-16 having backed up their win over Tasmania by beating the Brisbane Bullets on Australia Day by 38 points.

Whether the JackJumpers end up holding onto sixth spot or not will take care of itself over the next few weeks, but Roth knows whoever is available to play in a Tasmania uniform will be fighting to the end.

"It's not so much about finishing in the top six, it's about just doing the right thing and living up to our standards and if we do that, hopefully good things will transpire for us down the road but if we miss out, we miss out," Roth said.

"That's just life in general and basketball can be unkind to you and it is what it is, but we'll stay with our standards."

The most important thing for Roth, his coaching staff and playing group once Saturday night's game was done was to take some time over the next couple of days to collect themselves before returning to the practice floor this week.

Roth knows that his team will continue to compete now that they turn their attention back to the job at hand.

He has full faith whether it's players like Josh Bannan, Nick Marshall, David Johnson, Ben Ayre and Tyger Campbell who he's going to have to keep leaning heavily on, Anthony Drmic who's working back, Archie Woodhill and Ryley Haywood who got their chance against Illawarra or Nick Stoddart and Brody Nunn who will be given some time.

"We need to use these 48 hours to rest and clear our minds, and I do believe we were on one hell of a trajectory of what we've always done like last year when we were left for dead and the bottom fell out with the injuries to Sean and Mags," Roth said.

"We're kind of in a similar situation here other than the fact than we were heading in a good direction and we'll continue to keep the momentum of what we've been doing and just continue to try to build and get some of these guys valuable minutes.

"Stoddy and Nunny hopefully will get back on the floor with us too and I'll use some of those younger guys and see how we go with them."