Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Zac Claus leads the state in assists per game.

By Ray Hamill — The Corsairs are off to an impressive start this season in men’s basketball, both as a team and individually.

The College of the Redwoods men are 10-3 and ranked No. 23 in the state and No. 10 in NorCal as they head into Christmas.

As a team, the Corsairs are dishing out more assists per game (22.5) than any other JC team in California, as well as leading the state in rebound margin per game (18.4).

Individually, sophomore guard Zac Claus leads the state in assists and he is doing so by some margin.

The former Fortuna Husky is averaging 8.5 assists per game, two more than any other player.

His teammate, newcomer Jon Nchewube, leads the state in rebounding with 14.8 a game, almost one a game more than any other player.

And that’s not all for the high-flying CR men.

The Corsairs are No. 3 in the state in opponents’ 3-point percentage (26.7); No. 5 in the state in field goals per game (31.5); and No. 9 in the state in 3-pointers per game (9.5).

Bradley Willis also is enjoying an outstanding campaign with the team and leads the Golden Valley Conference in field goal percentage (60 percent) and 3-point percentage (53.8).

Nchekwube is also third in conference with 16.5 points a game, followed immediately by teammate Drew Gillette with 16.1 points a game.

The CR men feature four players in the top-10 in conference in scoring, with Donald Willis seventh (13.8) and Bradley Willis 10th (12.8).

The Corsairs will return to action on Dec. 30 when they travel to Livermore to play Las Positas.