The Chico State men's basketball team is full of savvy, accomplished, veterans. But the player whose strength, quickness, and athleticism makes the biggest impression might be Kelvin Wright Jr. The Wildcats' 6-foot-4 forward is a force that no California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) coach enjoys the specter of reckoning with for two-plus more years.
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Wright's explosiveness was on display during Thursday night's 87-85 overtime loss to 9th-ranked Cal State Marcos. His 17 rebounds match the most by a Wildcat since the turn of the millennium. He also scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, and blocked a trio of shots, including the potential game winner at the end of regulation.
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The sophomore from Rancho Cucamonga leads the CCAA and ranks 22nd in the nation in blocked shots (2.1 per game) and ranks third in the CCAA and 41st in the nation in rebounding at 8.8 per game. He would also lead the CCAA and rank third in the nation in field-goal percentage if he had enough makes to qualify (five per game). Wright has made more than 70 percent (40-of-57) of his field goal attempts this season.
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Wright, who has blocked at least one shot in each of the Wildcats first 11 games, will try to keep that streak alive when Chico State (10-1, 6-1 CCAA) hits the road later this week. The Wildcats will face San Francisco State Thursday night at 7:30 and Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday at 3 p.m.
