Tasmania JackJumpers ‘anticipating’ Taran Armstrong to return for Cairns in round 3

While he may have missed the opening two rounds of the NBL season, Tasmania are expecting a familiar face to return to Cairns’ line-up in round 3.

Tasmania JackJumpers assistant coach Mark Radford says they are planning to face a Cairns Taipans team on Friday night that includes Taran Armstrong.

The boy from Burnie has missed the opening two rounds of the NBL25 season with a calf tear, suffered in the Taipans first match at the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament last month.

Tasmanian Taran Armstrong is expected to return to the Taipans line-up against the JackJumpers. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)

But reports emerging from far north Queensland are that the Tasmanian will likely suit up against his home state with Radford and the coaching staff expecting as much on Wednesday.

“We just anticipate that he’ll play and then if he doesn’t, so be it,” Radford said.

“He probably gives (Rob) Edwards a little bit more of a chop out in carrying the basketball so that’ll change a little bit of what we do in the back-court.”

The JackJumpers will head into their first round of back-to-back games fresh off a last-start win over Melbourne United at MyState Bank Arena last Saturday night.

Set to face the Taipans on Friday at Cairns Convention Centre before returning home to host Perth on Sunday, Radford said the JackJumpers would approach a similar mindset to double-up weekends this season and that there was plenty of strong leanings out of the round 2 win.

“On revision of our film session during the week, there was a lot of positives out of it and now we just need to be able to continue that and make that become part of what we do this season,” he said.

“We always expect a high level (against Cairns), a little bit quicker, maybe not as physical, and they’re a different team to Melbourne United and a different team to us.

JackJumpers assistant coach Mark Radford is expecting another tough game against Cairns. Picture: Chris Kidd

“They move the ball around, they have a lot of freelance play at different times, so you need to be locked in and focused and it’s a great home court advantage there. We love playing there, we’ve had some success there.

“As we attacked all games last year, when you have the back-to-back games, your focus really is on that first game and you know you’ve got Perth in the background and (assistant coach) Jarrad Weeks has got that scout and he’s working away at that in the background.

“He will present that on Sunday, but all eyes are on front and centre on Cairns.”

After heading into round 2 under an injury cloud, Radford confirmed forward Anthony Drmic had pulled up okay following the game and had “no issues”.