AFTER 16 Rounds in the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, the Tasmania JackJumpers sit in sixth on the table, just in finals contention with 12 wins, but interestingly almost half of them have been against the big dogs in the league.

Over and over again, the JackJumpers noticeably switch their game against the top four teams and decide to play at such a high level that they are regularly beating the top teams. Their most recent game was against the best team in the league, the Adelaide 36ers, whom they beat 80-72, and proved to do what is arguably the hardest thing in the competition: containing Bryce Cotton.

Cotton finished the game with 15 points but shot 27 per cent from the field, whilst playing 38 minutes. While Cotton has widened his game to also become arguably the best playmaker in the league as he leads the competition in assists, but he was not able to get it going from a playmaking standpoint either, having the third fewest assists in a game for him this season, a testament to Tasmania’s restrictive defensive gameplan.

Other wins in December were against the SEM Phoenix and a 20-point win against Melbourne United. As of January 15th, the JackJumpers lead the league in wins against the top four teams this season, and when they play the top teams, they also look to be a top team.

The most interesting part about this team is its personnel, as they have a deep and very balanced roster, which can be really important during stretches where the best players are on the bench, as everyone is able to make a strong impact, which helps the team keep rolling throughout the game.

To put into perspective, there are currently 7 players on the roster who average at least 8 points per game, and each and every one has had games where they have individually been the X-Factor. One of these seven players is import David Johnson, who, despite injury problems during the early stages of the season, has come back and been a great scorer who can show up when needed to be that second option and has had some great games.

Leading the way, the top scorer of the team (not included in the seven players) is Bryce Hamilton. While Hamilton has cooled off a bit since his first couple of games, his strong, versatile play has been the biggest part of the JackJumpers’ success against these top teams.

Even when he isn’t on top of his game, such as when he scored 10 points against United in an 84-75 win. While Hamilton wasn’t able to get going offensively, Will Magnay stepped up into his shoes and had a dominant performance, with 27 points and 13 rebounds. This is the team’s biggest strength, as while their best player might not always be on top of their game, there is always someone else who is capable and ready to step up.

Their play in crucial games has begun to turn heads, and as finals approach, if they are able to have these same performances against the big dogs, then they have the potential to make a really good run.