ARCATA — Finally able to sleep in their own beds, the Lumberjacks come home to face the tough task of battling California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona. HSU welcomes the always-tough CSUSB Coyotes to Lumberjack Arena on Thursday, and hosts the CPP Broncos on Saturday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.
On-the-Air
Every Lumberjack basketball game is broadcast live over the local airways on KATA, 1340 AM, beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes prior to game time. Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action from Lumberjack Arena and HSU Assistant Athletic Director Dan Pambianco goes on the road with the Jacks. …Audio and video are also streamed live over the Internet through the hsujacks.com web site. The new UStream format allows an interactive chat between listeners during the webcast. The specific URL for access is located at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics .
Live Stats
All Lumberjack basketball home games can be tracked online by using the Live Stats feature on hsujacks.com. Real time statistics, momentum tracker and other information are featured on the game viewer. The feature can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/mbball/ .
Head-to-Head
Cal State San Bernardino leads the all-time series between the two teams with 14 wins against three losses. The Jacks claimed a 71-67 regular season home win over the Coyotes last year, but lost three other times the teams matched up. CSUSB finished the Jacks bid for a CCAA tournament title, then eliminated HSU at the NCAA Division II West Region Championships a week later.
Head Coach Steve Kinder
The "Kinder Era" at HSU is off to a 9-1 start, including a 6-1 record in the CCAA. After serving as the Jacks' No. 1 assistant for the past 20 seasons, Kinder took over for his mentor, Tom Wood, in 2010-11. As an assistant, he played critical roles in recruiting and coaching while helping the Jacks' 217-77 record achieved during the past decade. Kinder is a former HSU basketball player who was a member of the 1984-85 NCAC championship team. He previously served as a graduate assistant coach for the Lumberjacks (1986-88).
Projected Starters
G - #4 Brandon Sperling, 6-3, Jr., Fresno
F - #15 Elliot Babcock-Krenk, 6-3, Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore.
F - #21 Randy Hunter, 6-6, Jr., Santa Maria
F - #21 Kyle Baxter, 6-9, Jr., Sacramento
C - #32 Brian Morris, 6-9, Sr., Portland, Ore.
Lumberjack Notes
Brian Morris posted a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Cal State East Bay, also chipping in a team-high four assists and going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. In the Jacks' victory over Sonoma State, Morris was held out much of the first half with two early fouls, but came on strong in the second period, scoring all 14 of his points and grabbing seven rebounds. …Humboldt State continues to showcase a variety of weapons, with two more possibly waiting in the wings. Morris and Randy Hunter have traded team leadership for points scored, Hunter currently leading with an average of 16.3 per game and Morris putting up 16.0 per outing. Junior guard Brandon Sperling isn't far behind at 15.1 points per game. The trio's efforts contribute to the Jacks' conference-leading team average of 83.4 points per game. Individually, Hunter ranks second in the CCAA in scoring, Morris ranks third and Sperling is listed fifth. …Still waiting for potential activation are Lumberjacks Matt Lipski and Marcus Hall. Lipski, a 6-9 sophomore transfer from College of the Redwoods, should have his eligibility paperwork processed in the next couple of weeks, and Hall, a sophomore transfer from Cal State Bakersfield who has been out with a foot injury since the season's first game, is awaiting medical release. …The new semester doesn't begin for two more weeks, giving the Jacks plenty of free time to practice, lift weights, study video and sleep. "Having free time can be a negative, but it also gives us time to set up video, and break up the day. We can get a higher quality of production out of our practices because they have more time to rest."
Opponents' Notes
Posting two more wins last weekend, Cal State San Bernardino kept itself in the middle of the conference chase and enters the week with a 3-1 league record, 5-3 overall. The Coyotes posted one-sided wins over CSU Monterey Bay (85-50) and San Francisco State (84-60) to finish 2010. …Leading CSUSB in scoring is 6-7 sophomore, Kwame Alexander, who averages 11.8 points per game. Aaron Hill, a senior guard from Compton, averages 11.4 points per game, and Corey Caston, the senior point guard, puts up 10.8 points per game. …Cal Poly Pomona began the season as the top-ranked team in Division II after winning the national championship last year. The Broncos, co-champions of the CCAA regular season along with the Lumberjacks, were also selected by the league's coaches as the favorite in the preseason poll. …The Broncos are off to a 4-4 start overall while osting a 1-3 record in league games. Last week, Cal Poly Pomona fell to San Francisco State, 64-60, at home, then bounced back to defeat Cal State Monterey Bay, 75-65. …Mitchell Anderson is the Broncos' top scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game. Senior forward Kevin Menner is close behind, putting up 13.1 points per outing. Junior Dwane Fells (.667) and Menner (.661) rank first and second in the CCAA in field goal percentage.
Kinder's Quotes
"We've done well on the road, and that sets the stage for a very big weekend at home. Our rivalry with these two programs is well established." … "CSU San Bernardino traditionally plays a very aggressive perimeter defense. They're going to be in your face, and their style is to block shots and dunk the ball. We will have to stay poised if we hope to be successful." …"Cal Poly Pomona is a team that typically starts the season slow and then really gets going in January. They seem to play well at the right time, and they're a great postseason tournament team."
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