ARCATA — On the cusp of postseason, Humboldt State men's basketball has much to say in determining its own fate despite slipping one game behind co-leaders Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings. The outcome of this week's home games against UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino can decide the Lumberjacks' positioning in the CCAA Championship Tournament, and – with a little help from other teams – the Jacks could also still bid for a regular season title.
Departing from the usual weekly schedule, this week's games will be played Wednesday and Friday to allow an extra day for potential travel and preparation for next Tuesday's CCAA tournament first round. HSU welcomes UC San Diego into Lumberjack Arena for Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. contest, and Cal State San Bernardino joins the Jacks for Friday's game, set for the same tip-off time.
The top eight teams listed in Friday's final CCAA standings will begin tournament play on February 28 at the campuses of the top four teams. The winners of those first round games advance to the semifinals and potentially final, scheduled for March 2-3 on the UC San Diego campus.
2011-12 CCAA Men's Basketball Standings
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 of home games 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/.
CCAA Scoreboard
Fans will be closely monitoring the outcomes of other CCAA games, hoping to learn where the Jacks will finish in the standings and also their tournament seeding. All games scores can be accessed in real time on the CCAA scoreboard found at http://www.goccaa.org/concourse/?path=mbball&sport=bball.
Head-to-Head
Adding another notch in the win column on Jan. 20, Humboldt State still trails Cal State San Bernardino in the historical series, 7-13. …The Lumberjacks are 11-1 all-time against the UC San Diego Tritons after squeezing out a 65-64 victory on Jan. 21.
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 - #3, D.J. Broome, 5-5, Sr., Castro Valley
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 - #22 Kyle Baxter, 6-9, Sr., Sacramento
Projected Starters - UC San Diego
G - #10 James McCann, 5-11, So., Carlsbad
G - #12 Tyler McGrath, 6-3, Jr., Camarillo
F - #15 Mike Meza, 6-5, Sr., Simi Valley
F - #42, Christian Hatch, 6-8, Sr., Henderson, Nev.
C - #44 Ryan Wheeler, 6-10, Sr., Sebastopol
Projected Starters - Cal State San Bernardino
G - #3 Nate Roth, 5-10, Sr., Riverside
G - #24 Johnny Bell, 6-3, Jr., Moreno Valley
F - #23 Tre Brewer, 6-5, Sr., Alta Loma
F - #30 D.J. Shumpert, 6-7, Sr., Tucson, Arizona
F - #00 Pablo Genovo, 6-10, Jr. Girona, Spain
Rankings
The first of the NCAA Division II West Region rankings of the season was released last Thursday, and will continue weekly until the championships field selection announcement March 4. An automatic berth in the postseason is awarded to the team that wins the CCAA Championship Tournament, but not the regular-season title. The regular season's final standings determine what schools will gain a spot in the CCAA Tournament field of eight and the event's seeding.
|
NCAA Division II West Region Poll 2/16/12 |
|
School |
Overall Record |
In-Region Record |
|
1. Western Washington |
19-3 |
11-1 |
|
2. Alaska Anchorage |
14-3 |
14-3 |
|
3. Seattle Pacific |
15-5 |
15-5 |
|
4. Dixie State |
17-4 |
17-4 |
|
5. Western Oregon |
13-6 |
13-6 |
|
6. Humboldt State |
14-5 |
14-5 |
|
7. Cal Poly Pomona |
14-5 |
14-5 |
|
8. Chico State |
15-5 |
15-5 |
|
9. MSU Billings |
12-7 |
12-7 |
|
10. BYU Hawaii |
11-6 |
11-6 |
Lumberjack Notes
When it rains, it pours, the old cliche says, and for the Lumberjacks, who rained three-pointers this weekend, the result was a flood of missed shots. In two games, HSU made only five three-pointers in 33 attempts, and all five came from senior guard Scott Clark, who posted a very respectable 5-9 performance from long range. "Shooting wasn't a problem," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "Making was. We got good looks, but just didn't make them. And when we missed shots, it took the wind out of our sails. We lost all of our momentum." … Clark led the Jacks in scoring both evenings, putting up 19 points against San Francisco State and 15 vs. Cal Poly Pomona. In the earlier game, Randy Hunter achieved his fourth double-double of the season and 10th of his Humboldt State career. …As usual, the Jacks have been a dominant force on their home court this season, posting a 12-1 record. Looking back further, the Jacks have posted a 38-4 record since moving into Lumberjack Arena. Most amazing, perhaps, is Humboldt State's home record of 153-19 since the beginning of the millennium. …How important is it to play the final games at home? Following last week's roadtrip, hosting takes on a heightened perspective. "Our team was the victim of CCAA road torture," Kinder said. "We prepared, went into battle, but fell short in college basketball environments that were hostile and unfriendly." …Prior to Friday's game, the Lumberjacks will honor seniors D.J. Broome, Kyle Baxter, Scott Clark, Randy Hunter and Brandon Sperling. Broome and Baxter are the Jacks' four-year seniors, while the other three are two-year Lumberjacks.
Humboldt State Home Record Since 2000
|
2011-12 |
12-1* |
|
2010-11 |
14-0* |
|
2009-10 |
12-3* |
|
2008-09 |
12-3# |
|
2007-08 |
11-2# |
|
2006-07 |
16-1# |
|
2005-06 |
12-3# |
|
2004-05 |
12-3# |
|
2003-04 |
15-0# |
|
2002-03 |
12-1# |
|
2001-02 |
13-0# |
|
2000-01 |
12-2# |
|
Total |
153-19 |
Key – #East Gym, *Lumberjack Arena
Scenarios
Going into Wednesday's games, many possibilities for tournament seedings exist. Beyond still holding a chance to win the league title – with a little help from other teams – Humboldt State will be vying for a seed among the top four teams and a first-round home game. Most important to consider Humboldt State's current position and what will happen in the event of various ties. Possibilities of five-way, four-way, three-way and two-way ties exist, but the bottom line heading into Wednesday is that a Lumberjack victory guarantees a top four seed and first-round home game.
Opponents' Notes
Hopes for a berth in the CCAA postseason are long past for UC San Diego, a team that battled most of the top teams on even terms, only to fall short on multiple occasions. A clear example was the Jacks' 65-64 win over the Tritons in La Jolla. …UCSD split last weekend, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay and losing to CSU East Bay, both on the road. The Tritons have lost three of their past four games, but prior to that had defeated Cal State L.A. and CSU Dominguez Hills on consecutive nights. …Senior forward Christian Hatch tops his team in scoring and rebounding with average of 12.6 and 7.2, respectively. Hatch is finishing out his collegiate career following four outstanding years with the Tritons. …"(UCSD is a) patient, disciplined team that can beat you by creating a game tempo that is contrasting to our style," Kinder said. "They rebound exceptionally well and play very physical. They're a smart team that will have a game plan that will cause us to make many adjustments during the contest." … Cal State San Bernardino has claimed three of its past four games, all at home, finishing the stretch with a 73-58 loss to Chico State on Saturday. …Coming off the bench, senior forward Theron Laudermill is the Coyotes' scoring leader with an average of 13.0 points per game. Teammate Tre Brewer is averaging 12.8 points, and Kwame Alexander puts up 10.5 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds a game. … This game represents a classic rivalry to end our regular season schedule," Kinder said. CSU San Bernardino will bring an athleticism and intensity to our court we haven't seen all year. They're an extremely talented team who is trying to peak at the right time. Their post players have great size and strength. We will need to rise to the challenge this Friday night."
Kinder's Comments
"It's been a historic year in the CCAA. With seven losses and two games to go, our team can be in a position to win a championship. If we take care of business at home this week, we have a chance to get back in first place."
