ARCATA, Calif. -- The Humboldt State men's basketball team looks to heat up and shake a cold spell during this weekend's Seawolf Jamboree in Anchorage, Alaska. The Green and Gold face host Alaska Anchorage Friday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. and Alaska Fairbanks Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. PT.
 
"It's a treat for our guys to go back out on the road, and to a place like Alaska," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "Not too many people get the opportunity to go that far away to play a basketball game, and to be able to go play at the brand new Alaska Airlines Center, will be icing on the cake."
 
HSU continues to accumulate its frequent flyer miles with the over 2,600-mile trip to the country's 49^th state. Compared to the Lumberjacks' early-season New York City visit to face Division I opponent St. John's, this weekend's trip will be a short one.
 
"It is definitely a challenge to take a team back out and repack your bags after such a short turn around," said Kinder. "But it is a welcome challenge and this will be a good test for us."
 
Alaska Anchorage is coming off its third-straight loss, an 87-66 setback to Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Western Oregon, and has compiled a 3-5 overall record. With a 2-5 overall mark, Alaska Fairbanks lost to Saint Martin's, 67-64, Saturday.
 
"They are two excellent basketball programs that come from two great athletic departments that emphasize men's basketball," said Kinder. "We have our hands full. There is no question that they will be as good or better than the three teams we have seen so far in the California Collegiate Athletic Association."
 
The Jacks' latest challenge comes after a pair of road CCAA losses last weekend, which left the team still looking for its first conference victory. HSU lost to San Francisco State, 67-58, Friday and was tripped up, 80-70, by Sonoma State Saturday evening.
 
Despite the Jacks' conference start, Kinder believes the Green and Gold are a work in progress nearing completion.
 
"Playing on the road together brought us closer as a team," said Kinder.  "You face a lot of adversity on the road, and I think we grew from the losses. Individually, Allan Guei continues to prove himself and his worth to the program by being prepared every game and playing hard every minute he is on the floor."
 
The Compton, Calif., native had one of his best outings of the season in the loss to Sonoma State. Guei was almost perfect as he was 6-for-7 shooting and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the loss. His 20-point performance was his second-best offensive showing of the season. Guei's best performance, a 22-point outing, came in the Jacks' landslide victory, 110-77, against Simpson in the regular season opener.
 
Fans know what to expect from an upperclassman like Guei, but the Jacks need more production from their veterans and underclassmen to get back in the win column. Play-making freshmen Calvin Young II and Malik Morgan are still finding their place in Kinder's system, but their talent is apparent.
 
"(The newcomers) need to turn the corner, especially our freshmen, to solidify the team," said Kinder. "You see it on television, in the CCAA and everywhere. This is happening across the United States at the collegiate level. Freshmen are suffering growing pains."
 
Both Morgan and Young have shown flashes of the dynamic playmakers they can be in the future. Both average over 15 minutes a game and each have started several games this season.
 
"I believe they are going to turn the corner and be very productive for us," said Kinder. "We need to give the reigns back to Malik. We have to let him run the show a little more often with the ball in his hands at the point guard position. Calvin needs to learn how to manipulate our offense, our sets, and get more touches so he can be more of a high-volume shooter for the Jacks."
 
Young is the team's most efficient shooter and connects on 64 percent of his shots. Morgan is one assist shy of matching Guei's output with 20 assists. The Eugene, Ore., native leads the team with an average of 3.2 assists per game.
 
TIP-INS
- The last time HSU faced Alaska Anchorage was at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season. The Seawolves ended the Jacks' postseason run in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, 76-70, in Ellensburg, Wash.
- HSU is 8-10 all-time against Alaska Fairbanks and 10-5 versus Alaska Anchorage. The Jacks' last win against the Nanooks came in the 2005-06 campaign.
- Junior guard Ashton Edwards is the Nanooks' top scorer and averages 14.7 points per game. He has a pair of 20-point outings this season, including a 24-point game versus Notre Dame de Namur. The Compton, Calif., native transferred from Long Beach Community College where he averaged 19.4 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
- Four Seawolves average 10-plus points per game and they are led by junior guard Brian McGill. The 6-foot-2 guard averages 17.6 points per game and his 6.3 assists per game ranks second in the GNAC.