Gleeson: Sixers ready for tough Tassie test

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson knows Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth very well.

Roth was Gleeson’s assistant at Perth between 2019-21, and the pair won two championships together.

But as their sides prepare to match up on Friday night in Hobart, Gleeson says there hasn’t been time for pleasantries.

“I'd like to go out there and have a whiskey and a cigar with him without a question," Gleeson smiled during a press conference with Adelaide media on Wednesday."

“We had a great year and a half in Perth.

“He's done a great job of building Tassie up to what it is today so, you know, we're in for a hell of a game, and I'm sure that we'll catch up down the track.”

The JackJumpers are currently on top of the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 ladder with a 4-1 record.

The 3-4 Sixers are embarking on their second of four straight road games, and know the trip across Bass Straight won’t be easy – something Gleeson has been clear about with his team.

“Scott's a really good coach, so proud of what he's done over there,” Gleeson said.

“Obviously, I have the history with Scott in Perth and brought him here to Australia

“Nothing but a great program, lot of respect. They play the right way I believe so it’s going to be a tough one and it’s a good test for us early in the season.”

Gleeson’s side is coming off an impressive win over the Kings in Sydney, despite going in as rank underdogs.

The five-time NBL championship winning coach says he is starting to see his side playing the right way.

“We've been doing a lot of hard work, and really just showing glimpses in the games, when the bright lights come on,” he said.

“Sydney was a really good game for us. It was tough, physical.

“We stayed with what we were doing, we believed in each other, and there are some elements there we’ve got to keep working on.

“It's still new, it's still fresh for the guys to find out just the little spots where to be.

“I think our defence has really moved on this last weekend. We were really committed out there. So, yeah… we’ve got to keep developing, keep growing.”

In particular he was pleased with the performances of two of his imports in John Jenkins and Zylan Cheatham who had been criticised by some for a lack of scoring and overall contribution.

But the experienced mentor said he never expected the pair to stay down for long.

“You got two of the most professional athletes there,” he explained.

“They were disappointed in themselves so they didn't need much motivation. And you don't do much motivation to play against Sydney.

“Now the challenge is to be consistent. To be a consistent threat, bring your talent to the team and play your role.”

The biggest talking point to come from the win over Sydney was the late run in between six-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton and King Kendrick Davis.

Gleeson said he “didn’t lose sleep over” the altercation, saying Cotton was one of the best players he’d ever coached and he didn’t expect the competition’s best player to think about the incident again either.

“My experience with Bryce is a class person, class professional, humble, selfless, does what the team wants,” Gleeson said.

“This is the class person, great teammate. So, I'll back in whatever he does.”

Friday night’s game tips off at 7:00pm ACDT.

You can tune in on ESPN via Kayo or Disney+.

‍