ARCATA, Calif. – Humboldt State men's basketball coach Steve Kinder announced the signing of four talented student-athletes that will be joining the Lumberjacks next fall. The new signees include Jackson Strong, Hunter Johnson, Bryce Jackson, and Amari Green.
Coach Kinder had this to say about the new arrivals, "We are very excited about this recruiting class and these early commitments on the first day of spring signing 2018. Coach Rich Mendoza has done an outstanding job to make all of this happen. He has been tremendous in his ability to identify, evaluate, and deliver these high quality student-athletes."
Jackson Strong, a 6-4 guard from San Diego, has led the state of California in three-point shooting the past two years in junior college and has proven himself a durable player as he has never missed a game throughout his high school and college basketball career. He also won the "The Golden Falcon Award" at Torrey Pines High School, the most prestigious award for all students that attend the school.
"Jackson brings much needed shooting to our basketball program," said Coach Kinder. "He led California community colleges in three-point makes the past two seasons. Jackson brings toughness and maturity to our program. He has great teamwork and leadership abilities that will add to our team culture."
Hunter Johnson is a 6-5 forward transfer from Shasta College where he received First Team All-Conference honors last season. Before Shasta, Johnson attended Sierra High School in Manteca. Johnson was a First Team All-Conference selection his junior year and won conference MVP as a senior in 2015.
"Hunter is a winner, he has won two conference championships at the college level already," said Coach Kinder. "He can play two or three different forward and post positions in our system and gives us flexibility with our lineup. He brings a tough, no-nonsense approach to the floor and will be a valuable part of our locker room and on floor attack next year."
Bryce Jackson is a 6-3 guard from Stockdale High School who has shown he has the skills to succeed on the court as well as the classroom after winning the Top Scholar-Athlete award in three consecutive seasons. Johnson finished his senior campaign as his team's Offensive Player of the Year and received SWYL first team All-League honors in 2017-18.
"Bryce is as well rounded a young man as we have recruited to Humboldt State. He has a 4.3 GPA in the classroom and has been involved in community and club leadership activities. On the court he has an unstoppable motor, and loves to defend and rebound. He comes from a great pedigree, with his dad Edmond being a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion at Cal State Bakersfield," explains Kinder.
Amari Green is a 6-0 point guard from Helix Charter High School. The San Diego native helped lead his team to a CIF Division II Championship during the 2016-17 season. Green was named varsity basketball MVP and received Second Team All-League honors in his final year at Helix.
"Amari is a very good, tough floor general who has proven he can lead a team to a championship," said Coach Kinder "He started on his high school team as a junior, winning the Division II CIF Championship in San Diego, and he was named team MVP in 2018. He is a tough, defensive minded, unselfish player, which is what you need at the point guard position."