Game Details
Round four – Tasmania JackJumpers (3-3) vs Perth Wildcats (3-1)
8PM AEDT Saturday 22 October 2022 @ MyState Bank Arena
Watch: ESPN and Kayo
Listen: Cluch Radio SEN Tasmania and ABC Hobart
Game context
This is the first meeting between the two sides, who have both started the season. Perth started the year winning its opening three games, but were upset by Melbourne United on their home floor last week. A key issue for the Wildcats this season has been their slow starts, which saw them fall behind by 13 in the opening quarter. Bryce Cotton addressed the issue at training this week.
“All four games to start this season, we’ve started off sluggish in the first three or four minutes.
“If we can have a better start, we put ourselves in a better position rather than having to play catch up all the time.” Cotton said.
For Tasmania, they have looked like the JackJumpers of last season winning their three in a row, including both road games last round against Adelaide and Melbourne. They will be looking to bring that form to MyState Bank Arena, where they are 1-1 so far, with their win coming in OT against the Bullets.
The two teams match up quite similar on the stat sheet, with injuries to key big men leaving both sides undersized and struggled with rebounding. Tasmania is currently 8th in the NBL with 35 per game but just edge Perth with 34, who are ranked last in that category. But they both have no hesitation putting up shots from outside, with both teams ranking second (Tasmania 34.0) and third (Perth 33.5) three pointers attempted after the Cairns Taipans (35.0). Tasmania shoot it slightly better from outside at 34.3% to Perth’s 32.3%.
Lineups
Both sides are welcoming back key players. For Tasmania Sam McDaniel will be playing his first game fo NBL 23 after recovering from a rib injury he sustained in NBL1. Meanwhile Will Magnay (knee) and Clint Steindl (shin) remain on the sidelines with long term injuries.
For the Wildcats, Import big man TaShawn Thomas returns to the lineup after missing with an ankle injury.
What has been said
Bryce Cotton during the week praised the JackJumpers coaching staff and the team.
“Scott Roth and Jacob (Chance) have done wonders over there,” he said.
“They’ve done a good job of recruiting the right players to fit their system and it seems like they’re picking up where they left off.
“We’re not going in there looking past them at all, it’s a team we’ve got to respect and obviously they’re going to try and protect their home floor. “
Meanwhile JackJumpers assistant Coach Jacob Chance addressed to play hard from the opening tip. “Like Scott (Roth) said at the presser the other night, let’s be be confrontational from the start and be physical is really really important and we found a bit of that.
Its going tob e a tough challenge Saturday night, this team is confrontational too, they play a very similar style to us and they’ve got a lot of talent sitting on that other side of the floor. So its going to be a big test.
Recent meetings
Tasmania won their last encounter between the two sides 85-83 in Perth in Round 17 last year. In this game Jack McVeigh led the team with 19 points, but was one of five players in double figures. But the win came on the back of strong defensive effort in the second half kept the Wildcats to just 35 points. The JackJumpers also had 20 more shot attempts are dominating the offensive glass 18-8.
The Wildcats won the previous two meetings, including their only match at MyState Bank Arena 89-78 in March. This game the JackJumpers struggled with the size of Wildcats, losing the rebounds 49-30. But in particular were no match for Matt Hodgson and Vic Law inside, who combined for 38 points and 20 rebounds.
