ARCATA — Continuing an early four-game homestand, Humboldt State men's basketball faces a pair of non-league opponents, taking to the court Saturday and Monday. The Jacks opened their season with a 79-45 win over Menlo College last Monday, and hope to further flex their offensive and defensive muscles when they take on Pacifica College on Saturday and Southern Oregon on Monday.
Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tip-offs in Lumberjack Arena.
Tickets
All tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available on game day only. The doors open at 6 p.m. Prices are $15 reserved, $10 general admission, $8 for non-HSU students and children, and free for children under 2-years old and HSU students.
On-the-Air
Every Lumberjack basketball game is broadcast live over the local airwaves 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 courtside.
LIve Streaming
Audio and video are also streamed live over the Internet through the
hsujacks.com web site. 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 included on the game viewer. The feature can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/mbball/ .
Head-to-Head
Saturday's game represents the first meeting between the Lumberjacks and Pacifica College Gladiators. …In a series that dates back to the 1937-38 season, the Jacks hold a 76-61 advantage over the Southern Oregon Raiders.
Head Coach Steve Kinder
The "Kinder Era" began last year with a 26-4 record and a regular season conference title, finishing Kinder's inaugural season of 2010-11 with high standards to match in the future. But the National Coach of the Year hasn't been resting on his laurels, instead attending to the myriad of duties from recruiting to planning another run to the title. After serving as the Jacks' No. 1 assistant for the 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 - Humboldt State
G - #4 Brandon Sperling, 6-3, Sr., Fresno
G - #2 Scott Clark, 6-4, Sr., Pleasanton
F - #21 Randy Hunter, 6-6, Sr., Santa Maria
F - #21 Kyle Baxter, 6-9, Sr., Sacramento
C - #5 Matt Lipski, 6-9, So., Ashland, Ore.
Projected Starters - Pacifica College
G - # 3 Quinczy Spencer, 6-2, Jr., Salinas
G - #1 Alex Brandon , 5-11, Jr., Hayward
F - #32 Darrington Clarke, 6-2, Fr., Hamilton, Canada
F - #21 Jerry Santos, 6-3, Jr., Vista
G - #25 Kristoff Thande, 6-9, Jr. Patterson, N.J.
Humboldt State in the National Rankings
No. 14 - NABC Division II Coaches Preseason Poll
No. 21 - Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll
Lumberjack Notes
One-sided wins provide an opportunity for experimentation, and that's exactly what Steve Kinder and his staff did during the Jack's win Monday over Menlo College. As a gesture of sportsmanship, Kinder did pull off the pressing defense at halftime, but Humboldt's players remained focused and aggressive throughout the second half. "We have to have confidence in what we're trying to do, and since we hadn't used the press yet, building that familiarity was the whole objective of that particular game," Kinder said. "Our players must be accustomed to the high tempo, to the transition game. That's what Lumberjack basketball is all about." …Providing a steadying presence on the court is senior DJ Broome, who has helped new players adapt to the playing environment. "I'm very happy with DJ," Kinder said. "His gameday energy and leadership skills are very solid. He also gives us the luxury of switching off Brandon (Sperling) from point to off-guard, depending on where he fits best in a particular game." …JD Esters is also earning a closer look during his sophomore season, and he responded with a team-high six assists against Menlo. "We're trying to come up with minutes for JD because he's a true point guard who has the best feeling for getting the ball to the right player in the best position," Kiinder said. …Rebounding has been an emphasis of this week's practice, as the Jacks have been out-boarded consistently during exhibition games and in their season-opener. "We're below average in that area right now, but I don't believe it will be a weakness overall," Kinder said. "There are so many elements of our system to address, and we're still putting in new plays every day." …Sophomore post Greg Leslie is the only Lumberjack restricted by an injury at present, nursing a hand problem that leaves him doubtful for Saturday's game. Sophomore transfer Austin Bryan continues to make his long journey back from knee surgery, and displayed his readiness by draining two 3-pointers against Menlo. "Austin's moving at about 70 percent speed right now. He's been away from the game for so long that it will take some time for him to find his comfort zone."…Following a quick break for the Thanksgiving holiday, Humboldt State will finish its homestand on Saturday, Nov. 26 when Simon Fraser visits Arcata.
Opponents' Notes
Pacifica College (0-1), an NCAA Division III program from Riverside, has played four exhibition games and only one official contest thus far, losing that game 71-62 to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Gladiators face Cal State Stanislaus on Friday before traveling to Arcata. …The Gladiators have dropped all of their practice contests, losing to Point Loma Nazarene, Cal Baptist, Hope International and San Diego Christian. …Without a conference affiliation, Pacifica College has pieced together a tough schedule that includes five CCAA teams and two NCAA Division I opponents – Cal State Northridge and Santa Clara University. …Southern Oregon has posted a 2-2 record in the early going, and will take on two more opponents at the Oregon Tech Tournament before meeting HSU on Monday. …The Raiders have been involved in four close contests, including an 87-86 loss to William Jessup and a 73-72 win over the NAIA's No. 25 ranked team, Fresno Pacific. …Senior forward Jordan Highland has been SOU's top scorer with an average of 13.3 points per game. Sophomore Dex Daum has been effective from long range, making 9-of-14 3-point shots for a 64 percent effort.
Kinder's Comments
"We don't know much about Pacifica, except that we're likely to face a 1-3-1 zone defense and a halfcourt trap. I scheduled Pacifica because they played several of our conference schools last year and are again this year." …"These early games are important tools to use in assessing our team. One specific goal is to measure our depth off the bench. After these four games, we'll know if we have mediocre depth or championship level depth."
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