Eye of the Tyger: Roth hails 'humble' star imports

• JackJumpers hold Sydney to 70 points in commanding Round 5 home win
• Tyger Campbell explodes for 21 points in front of MyState Bank Arena crowd
• Scott Roth lauds “high-character” imports Campbell and Bryce Hamilton

NBL head coach Scott Roth knows exactly what he wants when recruiting imports at the Tasmania JackJumpers — and it's working.

"We’ve got good guys and high-character guys — that’s what we pride ourselves on here," Roth said after the JackJumpers held the Sydney Kings to just 70 points in Tasmania's 16-point 86-70 win at home in Round 5 of NBL26.

"They’re talented in their own ways, but they’re truly about the team.

"That’s what we look for when we try to find a JackJumper: humble, coachable, young, enthusiastic guys. Their energy really helps the team across the board."

Roth was talking about guards Tyger Campbell and Bryce Hamilton. Campbell, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, led all scorers with 21 points on 8-from-15 from the field in just 25:32 minutes.

"The crowd played a big part tonight, but I think it was the team," Campbell added.

"We were moving the ball, running our sets, getting what we needed, and the ball just hit my hands and I was ready.

"They were open shots — same three-pointer after three-pointer — and I was just looking to score a little bit. But I give all credit to my teammates; I couldn’t hit the threes without the kick-outs."

"We were pretty relentless the whole 40 minutes. I thought we played smartly and aggressively, and then tidied some things up which gave us some problems in Adelaide — which is a good sign," head coach Scott Roth said.

"Just contributions across the board, guys chipping away. I thought we did a really nice job defensively to hold them to 70 points, and the effort was good across the board."

On the other side of the ledger, the glow of Kings tough road win against the Adelaide 36ers was extinguished as Kendric Davis went just 4-from-17 from the field for 10 points, and Jaylin Galloway led the team with just 13 points. Matthew Dellavedova had 11, Xavier Cooks 12 and Tim Soares 12. The Kings dropped to 2-3.

The JackJumpers are 4-2 and fourth on the ladder but Roth, the consummate coach, is far from content.

“'Happy' is probably an over-exaggerated word — I don’t think a coach is ever really happy," he admitted.

"We have some growing areas to address, but the exciting part is we’re young and we’ve got guys who’ll continue to grow over time.

We’ll take our lumps, as every team will, especially with injuries. We’re just trying to thrive in these first nine games — seven of them on the road — and keep our heads above water."

He was also far from impressed with skipper Will Magnay's ejection after first being hit with an unsportsmanlike foul in the first half and a technical in the second.

"He just got thrown out," Roth said.

"He opened his mouth, and I had a conversation with him in the locker room — just unacceptable.

"He put us in a bind with us already being short players. He’s learned a hard lesson, and we just have to move on."

Key Details

• Result: Tasmania JackJumpers 86 def. Sydney Kings 70
• When: 15th October 2025
• Where: MyState Bank Arena
• NBL Standings

By the Numbers

• Tyger Campbell (Tasmania JackJumpers) starred with 21 points, two rebounds, five assists in 26 minutes.
• Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings) scored 12 points, and had eight rebounds, four assists, one block, and two steals in 30 minutes.

What Happened

Tasmania established control early, racing to a commanding 29-19 lead in the first quarter. They extended their advantage to 50-32 by halftime, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the contest.

The JackJumpers' offensive firepower was evident from beyond the arc, where they connected on 11 three-pointers compared to Sydney's five. Campbell was particularly lethal, shooting 5-from-9 from downtown as part of his game-high 21 points.

Josh Bannan delivered a dominant double-double performance with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while also contributing six assists. His 7-from-15 shooting from the field complemented by 4-from-5 from the free-throw line provided Tasmania with consistent scoring.

Tasmania's superior ball movement was evident with 22 assists to Sydney's 16, while their rebounding dominance (48-38) limited the Kings' second-chance opportunities. The JackJumpers particularly controlled the offensive glass, securing 13 offensive rebounds to Sydney's six.

For the Kings, Xavier Cooks worked hard with 12 points on efficient 6-from-9 shooting, while Tim Soares added 12 points and eight rebounds with four blocks. However, Sydney struggled from the field overall, shooting just 23.8% from three-point range compared to Tasmania's 32.4%.

Despite four Kings players scoring in double figures — Cooks, Soares, Jaylin Galloway (13) and Matthew Dellavedova (11) — Sydney couldn't match Tasmania's offensive consistency. The Kings trailed the entire game and were unable to mount any significant comeback, with their biggest scoring run reaching just eight consecutive points.

Ben Ayre provided valuable scoring off the bench for Tasmania, contributing 13 points on impressive 5-from-8 shooting including 3-from-6 from three-point range. The JackJumpers maintained their lead for nearly 39 minutes of game time, with their advantage reaching as high as 19 points.