IT was a historic campaign in the National Basketball League (NBL) last season for the Tasmania JackJumpers, taking home their first ever championship and will be eager to back it up in the 2024/25 fixture.

In just their third season in the competition, the JackJumpers won their first Championship Series in thrilling fashion and fully announcing themselves as a powerhouse of the NBL despite having such a short history.

Now, Tasmania will go from underdog to hunted in the coming months, as the rest of the competition looks to prevent it from going back to back.

Tasmania JackJumpers

Last time around

The JackJumpers were one of the stronger sides in the home and away season in their most recent campaign, but lifted in the postseason to show how balanced their roster was under the coaching power of Scott Roth.

Tasmania finished in third spot in the standings, booking a matchup with the Illawarra Hawks in the play-in and eventually the Perth Wildcats in the semi-final. The JackJumpers got the better of both teams and booked a second appearance in the Championship Series in three seasons.

Coming up against the ladder-leading Melbourne United in the deciding series, the JackJumpers would have been underdogs, but held a serious amount of belief as well as a handy record at John Cain Arena. In the end, Tassie won in five games, including a final-match thriller to seal a remarkable postseason performance.

The off-season

The JackJumpers did not make too many changes to a winning formula, although the loss of Jack McVeigh may prove damaging on the offensive end. McVeigh had a breakout campaign last year, and won the Grand Final MVP award for a clutch showing in several games.

The JackJumpers did make an eye-catching addition in the form of import Craig Sword, who brings plenty of experience to the table. Although not the most productive player on the offensive end, the point guard is an elite defender, and is an impressive shot blocker for his position.

The ability to bring him off the bench when an opposition player is in good form will be a key weapon for Tassie, and will likely change the course of multiple matches.

Projected Starters (when healthy)

Jordan Crawford
Milton Doyle
Anthony Drmic
Majok Deng
Will Magnay

One to watch

All the JackJumpers have proven themselves to succeed in the team in the past, but Crawford looms as the wildcard, because he has shown in the past that if he can fire offensively, then it will go a long way for the team’s chances of winning.

His showing in the first half of last year’s game five in the Championship Series was massive in the result of the game, and showed the kind of scoring ceiling he has. If he can become a more consistent threat in the 2024/25 season, Tassie will be tough to stop.