The Chico State men's basketball team's senior class – Giordano Estrada, Amir Carraway, Rashad Parker and Sean Park – has already left an amazing mark on the program. Their 22 wins are tied for the sixth most in school history. The names Carraway, Park and Parker are scattered throughout the program's single-season and career top-10 lists. The trio helped the Wildcats win their first California Collegiate Athletic Association title in 2012 and became just the second group to make three consecutive NCAA Championship Tournament trips when they were awarded a bid on Sunday.
 
But they fly to Ontario Thursday with a chance to attain something that no Chico State men's basketball team ever has; something that would overshadow everything else; a first that would live forever in Chico State men's basketball lore – a trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament Elite Eight.
 
The Wildcats, seeded No. 4 in the eight-team NCAA Championship West Regional, face No. 5 seed Cal Baptist in the first round Friday night at 5 p.m. The winner of that game will face top-seeded host Cal State San Bernardino or Chaminade Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The West Regional title tilt is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.
 
The winner of the West Regional advances to the Elite Eight at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., March 26-29.
 
No Chico State men's basketball team has advanced beyond the second round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. It can be argued that no Chico State team has ever has ever had this excellent a chance.
 
The Wildcat have beaten every team on their schedule this season, including West Regional participants Cal State San Bernardino (The No. 1 seed), Seattle Pacific (No. 2), Cal Poly Pomona (No. 3) and Cal State Stanislaus (No. 7). They're a group of seasoned postseason performers: Friday's game against Cal Baptist will be the team's 14^th postseason game in the past four years.
 
Cal Baptist won the Pacific West Conference regular season championship. The Lancers, in their first season of NCAA Championships eligibility, won their first 16 games and 24 of their first 25. They finished the regular season with a 106-100 overtime loss at Dixie State (the region's No. 6 seed) and then lost to No. 8 seed Chaminade 80-72 in the opening round of the Pacific West Conference Championship Tournament.
 
The Lancers' leading scorer is 6-foot-2 freshman Ryan Berg. The Pacific West Player of the Year hit 75 3-pointers while averaging 17.6 points per game. Anthony Cosentino, a 6-6 forward, averages 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Chris Brown, a 6-1 guard, averages 10.7 points and nearly four assists per game. And 6-8 center Kevin Crabb averages a team-high 7.8 rebounds, 7.1 points and more than a block per game. Crabb missed the Lancers' last four games due to injury, but it sounds as though he's likely to play. Michael Smith, a 6-4 guard averaging 8.4 points per game is the team's other regular starter.
 
All five Chico State starters are averaging in double-figures in scoring led by Parker at 14.7 points per game. Park is averaging 13.4, Carraway 12.9, junior Jordan Semple (a First Team All-CCAA selection) 12.4 points and team highs in rebounds (7.9), blocks (1.3) and steals (1.4) per game. Estrada is averaging 10.3 points per game and has made a team-high 70 3-pointers.
 
Fans can hear every Chico State men's basketball postseason game live on AM-1290 KPAY and online at www.chicowildcats.com where links to live stats and streaming video will also be available. CLICK HERE for the Tournament Central page.

For a great NCAA Championship Tournament West Region team-by-team preview by the Voice of the Wildcats, Mike Baca, CLICK HERE.
 
2014 NCAA Championship Tournament – West Regional
Coussoulis Arena, San Bernardino; March 14-15 & 17, 2014
Regional Quarterfinals – Friday, March 14
Game 1–12:00 p.m.: No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona (21-6) vs. No. 6 Dixie State (21-6)
Game 2–2:30 p.m.: No. 2 Seattle Pacific (26-5) vs. No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (21-8)
Game 3–5:00 p.m.: No. 4 Chico State (22-7) vs. No. 5 Cal Baptist (24-3)
Game 4–7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino (23-4) vs. No. 8 Chaminade (19-12)
Regional Semifinals – Saturday, March 15
Game 5–5:00 p.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 6–7:30 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Regional Final – Monday, March 17
Game 7–7:00 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

2014 NCAA Championship Tournament – Elite Eight
Ford Center, Evansville, Ind.; March 26-27 & 29, 2014
National Quarterfinals – Wednesday, March 26
West vs. Southeast
Midwest vs. Atlantic
East vs. Central
South vs. South Central
National Semifinals – Thursday, March 27
West/Southeast winner vs. Midwest/Atlantic winner
East/Central winner vs. South/South Central winner.
National Championship – Saturday, March 29