Young Hawks excite Jackomas

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Another young line-up for the Hawks this season doesn't phase head coach Jacob Jackomas, but excites him for the marathon ahead.

Illawarra Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas has made it known that having a young squad last season was no excuse for their unsuccessful run. But with another youthful roster lined up, he has urged they have a “different kind of experience”.

The emerging Hawks team has put in the work during a long off-season under Jackomas, and are ready to turn around a three-win campaign from NBL23.

“We’ve got a different kind of experience,” Jackomas said.

“It’s early days, we’re going to be young again. We never used that as an excuse last year, we used it as something as a positive in our realm.

“With youth comes ups and downs, we’ve just got to mould them in the right way to make sure we’re winning NBL games.

“With the experience of the season and everything that goes on, we’ll be in the right spot, come end of the year.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pre-Season snaps! <br><br>Check out the gallery at <a href="https://t.co/dOXwM8JJdQ">https://t.co/dOXwM8JJdQ</a><br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelArmstrong47?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoelArmstrong47</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawkNation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawkNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/nlc4PGxcAh">pic.twitter.com/nlc4PGxcAh</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1698529700753317957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Hawks flourished in their pre-season game against the NBL23 runners-up, the New Zealand Breakers, where they won 85-74.

NBL1 Central Finals MVP Lachlan Olbrich has joined the Hawks this season and is seen by some as one of the most underrated youngsters in the league.

“I will be that spark off the bench and I will be reliable,” the 19-year-old said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT. A. GAME!! ? <br><br>Big thank you to all our Hawks fans for coming out and showing your support! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawkNation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawkNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/0p3ML9p6Nz">pic.twitter.com/0p3ML9p6Nz</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1698230574631289052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former Melbourne United forward Mason Peatling was brought into the squad, which adds another young talent for Jackomas to coach.

Next Star AJ Johnson, an 18-year-old NBA draft prospect, will also hit the court.

Import injuries ruined Illawarra last season, but having three healthy and eager imports has Jackomas excited.

Point guard Justin Robinson is back, along with superstar Tyler Harvey, while former NBA player Gary Clark is set to play a major role.

“Having two Americans that have been in the league before, that helps. Gary is a leader, having him here also helps too,” Jackomas said.

“Reflection is key, and making sure that whatever we do from this point on is moving forward.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Come at one of us, Come at all of us. Because as Hawks, We Rise Together<a href="https://t.co/5xmdcKIvSv">https://t.co/5xmdcKIvSv</a> <a href="https://t.co/24k30LNkO0">pic.twitter.com/24k30LNkO0</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1699920714307146214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A new squad this season marks the right time for the Hawks to launch their new brand advertising campaign, ‘We Rise Together’.

The Hawks' vision is to be a club that truly matters to all the people of the Illawarra, with the mission of making the Illawarra a better place through basketball.

The new Hawks take on the Sydney Kings in their first game of NBL24 on Saturday, September 30.