‘Track meet’ game on tap for men
Lumberjacks host SFSU on Thursday
Humboldt State men’s basketball coach Tae Norwood forecasts a high-paced game against San Francisco State University in the Lumberjacks’ Thursday CCAA conference opener at the Lumberjack Arena.
“(SFSU) have a seven-man rotation and they’ll be looking to push the tempo to get the ball up and down the floor, which I think is how we want to play. I think it will be a track meet this Thursday,” Norwood said.
With the second-year coach’s one-game-at-a-time focus, the team will be looking to start the conference schedule on the right foot.
“We focus on our opponent to take away some of their strengths,” Norwood stated.
Humboldt State’s men enter their home court with a 5-0 mark, the best season start since the 2011-2012 season. With all five wins coming against non-conference adversaries, the Lumberjacks will be looking to extend the streak into the CCAA calendar.
The strategist is satisfied with the start to the season and the team’s progression.
“Most of us started the season in July, which was beneficial. … Our men are buying into the team dynamic and I think that creates a sense of unity. That’s the reason we have won those really close games,” Norwood said. “We are just a team with great character guys. We try to identify that throughout the process of this year. And I think we’ve got guys that are self-motivated, that want to be part of something special, you get the results that we’ve gotten thus far.”
Will Johnson was key in HSU’s most recent win over Dominican on Saturday night. The guard con
tributed 16 points and nine assists in the 74-68 win.
Knowing there are tough opponents in the conference, Johnson looks to compete against these and to continue to improve along with the team.
“Multiple teams are still
undefeated in our league going into and so we’re really excited and just want to keep getting better,” he said.
Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Humboldt State Lumberjack Arena.
All fans attending will be required to comply with the new campus COVID-19 protocols.