ARCATA — How quickly can a roster filled with previously unacquainted players mesh into a unit capable of winning at the collegiate level? That question will be addressed, and perhaps answered, this week when the Humboldt State men's basketball team opens its season at the Disney West Coast Tipoff Classic in Anaheim.

The Jacks' first game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday, when they'll go up against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference representative Fort Lewis College. Humboldt State, representing the California Collegiate Athletic Association, is back on the floor Saturday for a 5 p.m. tipoff against Southwest Minnesota State, out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. HSU's tournament participation ends Sunday when the Jacks face Great Northwest Athletic Conference powerhouse Alaska Anchorage at 1:30 p.m.

Tournament Notes: In its second year of existence, the Disney West Coast Tipoff Classic is co-sponsored by the entertainment giant and the CCAA. It features a four-team format for both women and men, with all games played at the Anaheim Convention Center.  Three of the four teams on the men's side advanced to NCAA post-season play during the 2007-08 campaign.

On-the-Air: All Lumberjack basketball games are broadcast live locally on KATA, 1340 AM, the North Coast's ESPN radio affiliate. Because of scheduling conflicts with the Jacks' football finale, Saturday's basketball game will move up the dial to 1480 AM. Webcasts are also available for out-of-area listeners, accessed through the Humboldt State Athletics site at hsujacks.com. …Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers is back for another year of bring home the action from courtside for all home contests. He'll be joined by Humboldt State Athletics Hall-of-Famer Burt Nordstrom. On the road, Assistant Athletic Director Dan Pambianco provides play-by-play. All broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to game time with the pregame show.

Coaches Show: For insight on the Jacks' basketball program and information on all of Humboldt State's athletics activities, catch "Humboldt State Tonight" on Fox Channel 2 local cable television at 6 p.m. Thursdays. J.B. Mathers hosts the show, which features interviews with Coach Tom Wood, student-athletes, and other HSU Athletics staff members.

Head-to-Head: Fort Lewis and Southwest Minnesota State are both new opponents for the HSU program. …In previous meetings with Alaska Anchorage the Lumberjacks hold a 9-4 advantage, including a 68-61 win the last time the teams met, the NCAA West Region Tournament in 2007.

Lumberjack Notes: An encouraging final intrasquad scrimmage played Saturday helped prove what the Jacks' coaching staff already suspected – that the 2008-09 roster is filled with promising, untested players who should eventually form a very good team. "We've made considerable progress during the last week with our new players, which is most of the guys," HSU head coach Tom Wood said. "They're becoming more familiar with our system, which allows them to play a more free-flowing style. But sometimes, they're still paralyzed by trying to think." …Injuries have altered the Jacks' lineup already, with returning senior Efren Del Rio and redshirt freshman Will Petty unavailable this week. Del Rio underwent knee surgery Friday, and his timetable on a return to the team is still uncertain. Petty is hampered by an elbow injury that has kept him from practicing. Newcomer Owen Newman, who suffered a thumb injury similar to what Devin Peal endured last season, rejoined the eam for Saturday's scrimmage, and is likely to play with a taped up right hand. …Beyond the injuries, the decision on a starting lineup will also be determined through continuing evaluation. Wood expects to utilize the squad's apparent depth early on, spreading the playing time around while the staff and players get more familiar with one another. "We'll utilize platooning for awhile," Wood said. "Who looks good varies from day to day. I couldn't tell you what our starting lineup is going to be down the road, but the scrimmage indicated that I shouldn't be afraid to play a lot of people, and use this weekend as a learning experience." …Three players whose roles are increasingly important are the Jacks' returners. With Del Rio out for at least awhile, senior Jameson Figgatt, junior Mike Kehrig and sophomore Ernie Spada will be counted on further for leadership and direction. …As the Jacks head to their first competition, only one firm decision who might utilize a redshirt season is apparent. Junior transfer Brian Morris will be limited to practice while he establishes residency that will make him eligible for the 2009-10 season.

Opponents Notes: Fort Lewis College enjoyed a program-high in wins after posting a 24-6 overall record, capturing the RMAC before suffering a first-round loss in the NCAA Championships. …Southwest Minnesota State registered a 17-12 overall mark a year ago and finished third in the NSIC with an 11-7 conference mark. Junior forward Ross DeMasi returns as the Mustangs' leading scorer after averaging 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds a game in 07-08.…Alaska Anchorage won the GNAC title and reached the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2007. Senior forward Cameron Burney (5.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 1.3 apg.) is the lone returning starter from last year's Seawolves team that concluded the season with a program-best 29-6 overall record.

Wood's Words: "Our young players have discovered that there is a lot to learn, and practices that go as long as ours don't provide for much rest. Most of the time we're asking them to go hard." … "(at Saturday's scrimmage) we looked like a team. I left feeling we can play the way we want to play. I like our players, and I believe that by January 1 it will take a good team playing its best basketball to beat us." … "Fort Lewis is favored in the RMAC, and Southwest Minnesota is in a very good conference, so I guarantee they're a good team. I've seen enough of Alaska Anchorage, last year's No. 1 team in the west, to know that they'll be tough again. We have a serious challenge ahead of us this weekend, and it will be a great learning experience. I hope we can scrape out a win or two on the road."

Roster: Humboldt State's roster is available online at the following link - http://hsujacks.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&