Chico State Athletics

There are lots of different okays out there: the excited "oKAY!" when you see something you really like; the exasperated "oh-kayyyy" when mom asks you to do your chores for the 12^th time; and the serious "OK" when you decide to shake hands on a deal. Then there's the kind experienced by those who are invested in Chico State basketball and point guard Isaiah Brooks upon Tuesday's announcement of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week award—the "OH-Kay" that comes with a determined look, a nodding head, and a challenge accepted.
 
Brooks did not win the award, in case the loose linguistics are lost on you. However, he was the lead on-court conductor of the Wildcats' historic weekend, playing practically flawless basketball in wins at 11^th-ranked Cal State San Bernardino and 21^st-ranked Cal Poly Pomona. After beating those perennial powers on the road in the same season for the first time in program history, Chico State is now 7-0 for the first time since 1942–43.
 
Brooks' play was much better than just okay. The senior from Sacramento's Sheldon High School made 10-of-12 shots (including 7-of-8 threes), 4-of-5 free throws, and committed only two turnovers in 63 minutes of action. He averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.
 
Brooks played perhaps the best game of his career in Thursday's 99-90 win at Cal State San Bernardino. He made all eight of his shot attempts, including six 3-pointers, and finished with a career-best 23 points, a season-high nine assists, four rebounds, and just one turnover in 35 minutes as the Wildcats handed the Coyotes their first loss of the season.
 
The performance prompted legendary Chico State point guard Jay Flores—now an assistant coach at the University of Montana—to tell AM-1290 KPAY Radio's Mike Baca (the Voice of the Wildcats) that Brooks' effort "may be the greatest performance by a Wildcat point guard ever."
 
Saturday, in a 74-64 win against a Cal Poly Pomona team that is essentially on the opposite end of the college basketball style spectrum from Cal State San Bernardino, Brooks bagged eight points, four assists, four rebounds, and committed only one turnover in 28 minutes of action. That moved him past Flores' former teammate, Damario Sims, into ninth all-time in assists at Chico State with 274. Brooks is now just 26 shy of joining Flores and four others with 300 assists as a Wildcat.
 
It also helped earn him even more recognition from his Wildcat Family. Brooks is the Wildcat of the Week.

Chico State Men's Basketball  200 Career Assists Club 
582 Justin Argenal 2005-09
497 Deon Robinson 1997-01
387 Jay Flores  2009-12
349 Tim Taylor 1980-84
300 Jalen McFerren 2014-18
289 Robert Duncan 2013-17
287 Tim Haley 2003-05
280 Antone Curtis 1991-93
274 Isaiah Brooks 2017-
272 Damario Sims 2009-13
262 Corey Silverstrom 2014-18
257 Brian Faulstich 2002-04
254 Homer Rivers 1982-84
233 Chico White 1979-82
213 Frank Lopez 1986-88
202 Tony Prescott 1992-94