Tasmanian JackJumpers coach Scott Roth claims he has “no idea” who is on the Perth Wildcats roster ahead of their clash on Saturday.

Speaking after the JackJumpers’ 88-84 loss to the Melbourne United on Thursday night in the NBL25 season opener, Roth was in no mood to discuss their next opponent.

“I have no idea who’s on Perth’s roster or anything because I don’t follow the NBL stuff,” Roth said in the post-match press conference.

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“I’ll get all that stuff loaded up on my computer tomorrow morning and watch on the flight over there. But I couldn’t tell you two cents about Perth. I haven’t seen them play this year. I’ve got no clue.”

A genuine admission or have the mind games already begun?

The comments come after one of the most active off-seasons the NBL has ever seen due to the level of talent each club has brought in. One team in particular, the Perth Wildcats, were extremely active with the signings of several high-level players.

Doyle stars as United beat Jackjumpers | 00:50

Not that Roth, if you take him on face value, was paying attention.

Bringing in Mason Jones (NBL G-League Champion and Finals MVP), Jo Lual Acuil Jr and the likes of Lat Mayen and Sunday Dech, the Perth Wildcats have built a championship contending roster.

Despite Thursday’s loss, the JackJumpers showcased their successful off-season recruiting, with their new imports all having very positive debuts.

Bryce Hamilton, who has been in pre-season discussion as an MVP candidate, scored 24 points (11/18FG) while also adding two steals and one block to his statline.

Teammate and debutant, David Johnson, also had a great start to his JackJumpers career. In 27 minutes, Johnson had 22 Points (7/13FG), 10 rebounds and two assists.

Roth was more open to discussing how his young roster had fared.

“I just told those guys, the five young guys we’ve got, (Josh) Bannan and (Nick) Marshall, and then the three imports (Hamilton, Johnson, Tyger Campbell), there’s just a tremendous amount of growth with those guys over the course of this season,” Roth said.

Bryce Hamilton of the JackJumpers. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

“They’re super coachable and I thought it was a classic game against them (Melbourne United), just a smashmouth kind of back-and-forth game. They beat us up on the glass, which was really the big difference, and then the foul count. Those two have always been tough to overcome and 11 in the first half was disastrous.”

New local signing Nick Marshall had himself a modest debut, scoring eight points and grabbing two rebounds in just under 15 minutes of action. But Roth said Marshall had “really been impressive for us”.

“I think he’s just scratching the surface with us,” he said.

“He’s been fantastic and he’s going to get plenty of opportunities with us. The last two or three weeks he’s just continued to grow in a lot of areas and he’s really prided himself on becoming a better defender. In our group he can make shots, he’s got good size and athletic ability, so he’s got a bright future with us.“

The JackJumpers will take on the Perth Wildcats on Saturday night at RAC Arena at 8pm (AEST).

Let’s just hope Roth doesn’t get a surprise when seeing Jo Laul Acuil Jr walking onto the court come game time.