ARCATA — Humboldt State's December homestand continues Saturday when the Lumberjacks host rival Chico State at 7:30 p.m. in Lumberjack Arena. They'll finish 2011 with another California Collegiate Athletic Conference game, taking on Cal State Stanislaus  Monday, also at 7:30 p.m.

Both upcoming opponents offer formidable challenges for the Lumberjacks, who were ranked No. 8 nationally in the most recent NABC poll and carry 6-1 overall and 2-1 conference records into the week. Chico State is 6-2 on the season and 1-2 in league, while Cal State Stanislaus is 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the CCAA.

Saturday's and Mondays' games are both the second game of doubleheaders featuring the women's teams.

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. The 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 www.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
Sweeping a pair of tight games a year ago, the Jacks made up ground but still trail the Wildcats, 72-105 in the all-time series. In the basketball history of the two programs, HSU has played Chico State more than any other school. …Cal State Stanislaus handed the Jacks one of their four losses last year, but HSU defeated the Warriors the other two times the teams played. Humboldt State leads the series, 37-29.

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 - Chico State
G - #5 Damario Sims, 6-0, Jr., Oakland
G - #10, Jay Flores, 6-0, Sr., Sacramento
G - #20, Sean Park, 6-4, So., Santa Barbara
F - #15, Amir Carraway, 6-5, So., Vallejo
C - #44, Jason Conrad, 7-0, Jr., Gilroy

Projected Starters - CSU Stanislaus
G - #10, Vince Fuller, 6-3, Jr., Compton
G - #11, Dan Daviess, 6-2, Sr., Danville
G - #15, Marcus Waters, 6-4, Jr., Riverside
F - #13, Reggie Jones, 6-9, Sr., Paterson, New Jersey
F - #23, Brett Sayad, 6-6, Sr., Ceres

Humboldt State in the National Rankings
No. 8 - NABC Division II Coaches Poll (as of Dec. 6)
No. 21 - Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll

Lumberjack Notes
Respect continues to follow the Lumberjacks, who were No. 8 in last week's NABC rankings with a new list due out Tuesday. This year's number of NCAA Division II schools sponsoring men's basketball has climbed to 310, further illustrating the significance of Humboldt State's status. …Final exams are taking precedent over practice this week with the focus on academics. Head coach Steve Kinder gave his student-athletes the first two days of the week off, with plans to pick up the pace the final three days heading into Saturday's game. "We'll be polishing our offense and working on our ability to defend good teams like the ones coming in this week," Kinder said. …Kinder employed a lineup shift last week against Sonoma State, and it appeared to have backfired early in the game when the Jacks fell behind. But the move caught the attention of usual starters Randy Hunter and Kyle Baxter, seniors who came off the bench to fuel the Jacks' victory. Hunter finished with a season-high 21 points and Baxter again broke his career single-game rebounding high with 12 boards. …Greg Leslie and D.J. Broome are the only Lumberjacks currently playing through injuries. Leslie continues his recovery from a hand issue, and Broome has been playing with an injured thumb. …While still less than 25 percent of the season has been played, the Jacks have risen to the top of three team statistical categories. Humboldt State leads all CCAA teams in scoring with an average of 84.7 points per game, is best in league in field goal percentage (.511) and has the top turnover margin, forcing opponents into an extra 6.86 per game. …Individually, senior guard Brandon Sperling ranks third in two categories – scoring (18.0 points per game) and assists (3.7 per game). Kyle Baxter is third in league in defensive rebounds at 5.3 per game, and D.J. Broome is tied for third among CCAA players with an average of 1.9 steals per game.

Opponents' Notes
Junior guard Damario Sims and sophomore Amir Carraway are Chico State's top scoring tandem, averaging 12.3 and 10.1 points per game. Carraway also paces the Wildcats in rebounding with 5.4 boards per game. …Former Arcata High standout Jordan Semple is averaging 7.4 points per game and is shooting 56 percent from the field. …Another connection to Humboldt State is Chico State junior guard Spencer Moyer, the brother of former Lumberjack star Grayson Moyer. …CSU Stanislaus has one of the most versatile and talented players in the league in senior Reggie Jones. The 6-9 center leads the CCAA in scoring with an average of 22.7 points per game, and is the conference's second best three-point shooter, hitting six of nine chances for .667 percent. …With the end of the semester, 6-11 senior center Frank Monge will see his first playing time after sitting out the fall semester. …Brett Sayad and Ronnie Sawyer have contributed scoring to the Warriors' lineup, each putting in 9.0 points per game. Sawyer has also dished 16 assists.

Kinder's Comments
"From the before the season started, I've been saying that Chico State is going to be one of the top three teams in our conference. They're excited, fired up to be on the court, and playing very well together." …"Cal State Stanislaus beat us last year, and they're an improved team this year. (Larry Reynolds) is an experienced coach who prepares his team very well. …It will be interesting to see how we match up with both of these teams." …"We're finding our identity, finding out what is the best style for us to play. It's been a process of identifying combinations of players who work well on the court together." …"I was very pleased with the seniors we finished the game with (against Sonoma State). I felt confident about the outcome with that group on the floor down the stretch."