Studying under the 10 players with at least two years of experience in the Chico State men's basketball program, Wildcats redshirt freshman Amari Stroud's opportunities have come in small chunks this season. But given an opportunity to play 17 minutes in Friday night's 78-47 victory against UC Santa Cruz, Stroud showed Chico State's fans his tremendous upside.
The product of Fresno's Sunnyside High School earned Wildcat of the Week honors by scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting while chipping in two rebounds, two steals, and an assist. The 10 points are a new collegiate high while the two steals match Stroud's collegiate best.
All 10 of Stroud's point were scored in the paint. The 6-foot-10 slasher scored his first points on a put back. He also slashed to the bucket for a pair of layups, took a steal the other way for a fast-break layup, and put the exclamation point on the Wildcats' big win by going baseline for an explosive one-handed rip that brought Chico State's entire bench to its feat. It is explosive plays like that and his size and skill on the defensive end that give Stroud a chance to become a fixture on the floor for the Wildcats for seasons to come.
Stroud and the Wildcats will look to continue to improve as they head into the second half of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. this week. They'll reach the halfway point of their conference season Thursday against Cal State Dominguez Hills before starting the second half Saturday against Cal State LA. Both games are at home in Acker Gym and are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
