Chico State men's basketball coach Greg Clink is on the cusp of his 100
th win. It seems he also has the Wildcats on the cusp of a third consecutive NCAA Championship berth with Wednesday's first release of the NCAA West Region rankings. The Wildcats are ranked sixth. Eight teams at the end of the season will receive championship invitations.
But a bit of revenge will be foremost on the Wildcats' minds when they play at Cal State Monterey Bay Friday. The Otters handed Chico State one of its five losses on Alex Fertig's buzzer beater back on Jan. 18 in Chico. Tipoff for Friday's game and Saturday's showdown at Cal State East Bay (coached by Clink's former assistant Gus Argenal) is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Both games will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM and simulcast on the Wildcats Athletics website, with Mike Baca handling the play-by-play. Links to live stats and live video will also be available there.
The Wildcats swept last weekend's trip to Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills for the first time in the Clink era (and the first time since 2004), brining his career win total to 99.
He has a chance to become the first Chico State men's basketball coach with 100 wins in his first six seasons. Gene Maxey and Puck Smith each won 99 in their first six seasons.
Clink and the Wildcats are 61-24 over the last two-plus campaigns, including 17-5 this season. They're ranked No. 6 in the West Region, and with a strong finish, could make it three straight NCAA Championship Tournament berths for just the second time in school history, joining Smith's 1990-91, 91-92 and 92-93 teams.
Current West Region rankings:
|
Rank |
Team |
Record vs. DII |
In-Region Record vs. DII |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Cal State San Bernardino |
18-3 |
17-2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
California Baptist |
22-1 |
22-1 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
17-3 |
17-3 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
Seattle Pacific |
20-4 |
18-4 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
Dixie State |
19-4 |
19-4 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Chico State |
16-5 |
16-5 |
|
|
|
|
7 |
Western Washington |
13-6 |
13-5 |
|
|
|
|
8 |
Chaminade |
13-7 |
12-6 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
Dominican (Calif.) |
17-7 |
17-7 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
Cal State Stanislaus |
12-8 |
12-8 |
|
|
|
The Wildcats enter the weekend in third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 13-5. They would clinch their fifth straight CCAA Championship Tournament berth with a win Friday.
But that won't come easily. Cal State Monterey Bay (9-12, 7-11 CCAA) had its three-game win streak snapped (which including a win against conference co-leader Cal Poly Pomona) with a last-second 79-77 loss to Cal State San Bernardino Saturday. The Otters will be playing for their postseason lives at three games out of the sixth and final CCAA Championship Tournament spot with four to play.
Cal State East Bay is heading in the opposite direction, having dropped seven straight and 11 of 12. But the Pioneers (7-17, 4-14 CCAA) are coached by Clink's former Chico State assistant Gus Argenal and assisted by Chico State's 2011-12 CCAA Player of the Year Jay Flores. So emotions will likely run high.
MILESTONE WATCH
While Clink closes in on 100, Amir Carraway is closing in on 1,000 points. The senior from Vallejo needs 10 more to become the 14
th player in school history to reach that mark. He would be the second Wildcat to get there this season, joining Sean Park, and the fourth player from the 2010-11 team. Damario Sims and Roderick Hawkins are the other two.
Park is eight 3-pointers shy of becoming the 14
th Wildcat with 100 threes and the third this season, joining Carraway and Rashad Parker. With 83 career steals, Park is also five thefts away from tying former teammate Josh Jackson and Tony Prescott for 10
th in school history.
It had been 18 seasons since a Chico State team won 19 games before 2011-12. If the Wildcats win twice this weekend, they'll reach 19 wins for the third season in a row. Chico State's 61 wins over the last three seasons is already the second highest total in the program's history. Only the 1990-91 through 1992-93 teams won more games - 67.
