TACOMA, Washington – The 2020-21 academic year has been interesting, to say the least. But the Puget Sound men's basketball team is ready for the university's first official athletic competitions of the year when the Loggers host Whitworth, Jan. 22-23, in Memorial Fieldhouse.
FANS AND FAMILY ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ATTEND ATHLETIC EVENTS
The Loggers' shortened season consists of 12 regular-season games, all of which are against Northwest Conference foes based in Washington: Whitworth, Whitman, and Pacific Lutheran. Each weekend will consist of Friday and Saturday games against the same opponent in the same gym.
A postseason tournament is tentatively scheduled for March 4-6.
Of the four NWC teams in the mix, Puget Sound is the only one without a senior. The Loggers' upperclassmen, all of whom are juniors, include Cal Hansen, CJ Geathers, Donovan Wilson, and Mussie Teclemariam.
Hansen was the NWC Rookie of the Year in 2018-19. His follow-up campaign resulted in averages of 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. Hansen, along with 6-7 transfer Teclemariam, provide a formidable frontcourt for the Maroon & White. Sophomore Grant Erickson, who started 12 games last year, will also play a pivotal role on the boards.
Wilson and Geathers are two key players in a deep Puget Sound backcourt. Wilson shot 41.7-percent from 3-point range in 2019-20, and Geathers finished the year with a team-best 2.0 steals per game.
Sophomore guard Jourdan Joseph had an outstanding rookie season in which he averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting nearly 40-percent from beyond the arc. He scored 20+ points in three games last year, including a 25-point effort against Whitman.
Joseph's sophomore classmate, Tyrese Yussuf-Willis, averaged 11.3 points in nine games a year ago.
Puget Sound welcomes six freshmen to the program – learn about the class by clicking HERE.
Last year, 10 of Puget Sound's 25 games were decided by five points or less. The Loggers won only three of those 10 games. Although this year's team is young, it carries that chip on its shoulder.
Whitworth (2-3) has already played five games this year. The Pirates beat Seattle Pacific twice, and suffered losses to Montana and College of Idaho. Rowan Anderson leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game, and Migel Lopez is the team's top rebounder (5.4).
