CHICO – Chico State basketball fans are prone to bristle at the thought of Arcata, home of rival Humboldt State. Now they have a reason to beam instead. Arcata High School product Jordan Semple, the 2009-10 Eureka Times-Standard and Humboldt-Del Norte Conference Most Valuable Player, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Chico State University.
Semple, a 6-foot-6 wing, averaged 18.1 points for the Tigers this past season, including 21.3 in the postseason. He broke the 20-point barrier 10 times and scored a season-high 29 in a 66-63 loss to Modesto Christian in the CIF Northern California quarterfinals on March 11.
“We are extremely excited about Jordan becoming a Wildcat,” said Chico State Head Coach Greg Clink. “His skill set, athleticism and passion for the game are all things that are going to allow him to have a huge impact on our program.”
In describing the reason for choosing Semple as its 2009-10 MVP, Neil Tarpey of the Times-Standard explained: “His repertoire included nailing 3-pointers from spots all over the court, making unselfish passes to teammates, converting steals into coast-to-coast, high-wire lay-ups, blocking shots and hitting the boards.”
Semple was also named the Times-Standard’s Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.
“Jordan provides good size and versatility at the small forward position and he has the ability to guard multiple positions,” said Clink. “He’s a good shooter and ball-handler. His offensive skill set is excellent and he has a knack for rebounding the ball. We love the fact that he’s been coached by Eric Vollmers at Arcata High School, who has helped him develop a high basketball IQ. All of that, coupled with the fact that he’s a diligent student academically, make him a perfect fit for what we are trying to accomplish here at Chico State.”
Semple, Bishop O’Dowd’s Jordan Barton, and De La Salle’s Nate Appel compose the Wildcats’ crop of 2010 graduates. They become some of the keys to the future of a program that, in just two seasons under Clink, has grown into one of the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s finest. Just two years after a three-win conference campaign, the Wildcats advanced all the way to the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals last season before losing a nail-biter to eventual National Champion Cal Poly Pomona to finish 16-13.
A lot of positive buzz is surrounding the Wildcats right now. This signing certainly (or Semple-y, if you like) adds to it.
