EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Bright banners wave from the rafters at the Ford Center, home of the 2014 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight. In vibrant and varying hues of red, green, gold and blue, they depict every national champion since 1957.
 
Drury's players simply raise their eyes sneak a peak at their heavenly accomplishment from a season ago when they won it all. The coaches and players from Metro State look up and remember just how close they came to winning last year's title before falling to Drury in the final.
 
Chico State is in its first Elite Eight. But if the Wildcats study those flags closely, they must know that they belong.
 
Six of the last 21 NCAA Champions have played in the Wildcats' own California Collegiate Athletic Association. The last CCAA squad to win it all was the 2010 Cal Poly Pomona crew that wrecked the Wildcats' season when Jay Flores' 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed off in an 80-77 loss in the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals.
 
Seven of the last 21 champions have hailed from the West Region. Western Washington used a second-half rally to beat the Wildcats 74-65 in the regional semifinals en route to the NCAA title just two seasons ago.
 
Many core players left over from that team will represent Chico State, the CCAA and the West Region this time around. The Wildcats open the Elite Eight against the University of South Carolina Aiken Wednesday at 6:30, PDT.
 
It's taken Chico State Head Coach Greg Clink just six years to steer his Wildcats to the mountaintop of Division II men's basketball.
 
"We've evolved," Clink explained at the pre-tournament press conference Tuesday afternoon. "Our goals have changed drastically."
 
"At the beginning it was about academics and getting our culture right. Three years ago it was about competing for a conference championship. Now, being in the regional is an expectation."
 
The Wildcats competed for the West Region title for the third straight season two weeks ago, and for the first time, won it.
 
"It's such an honor to be here. It's a joy," said Clink. "But we're definitely not satisfied."
 
 
GAME COVERAGE
The home of the Wildcats, www.chicowildcats.com, features links to all streaming audio, video and stats on the home page and men's basketball schedule page.

Radio/Audio: All Chico State games will be broadcast in the Chico area on AM-1290 KPAY with The Voice of the Wildcats, Mike Baca, providing the descriptions. The games will also be streamed live HERE.
 
Television: Thursday's semifinal game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network: channel 418 and 732 (HD) on Comcast in Chico; channel 221 on DirecTV in Chico; and channel 158 and 159 (HD) on Dish Network in Chico. Saturday's National Championship game will be broadcast on CBS.
 
Streaming Video: All seven games will be streamed live on NCAA.com/liveschedule.
 
Print: Travis Souders of the Chico Enterprise-Record will be in Evansville providing game stories, features, videos and podcasts online at www.chicoer.com/sports and in print.
 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: For up-to-the-minute analysis follow @ChicoWildcats, @WildCatsAD, @TravisSouders, @KPAYBacaSports and @Mbaca24.
 
Facebook: For photos and more like Chico State athletics at facebook.com/chicowildcats.

 
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats won their first NCAA Championship Tournament West Region title by beating Cal State Stanislaus 81-80 in come-from-behind fashion on March 17…Chico State's 25 wins are tied for the most in school history…All five Chico State starters average in double figures: Rashad Parker (15.2 points per game), Amir Carraway (13.3), Sean Park (12.8), Jordan Semple (12.8), Giordano Estrada (10.1)…Carraway, Semple and Parker have picked up the pace in the postseason during which Parker is averaging 19.2 points per game, Carraway 16.3 and Semple 15.3.
 

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA AIKEN
The 32-3 Pacers are one of four teams making a return appearance in the Elite Eight, having lost to eventual NCAA Champion Drury in last year's quarterfinal round…They won the Peach Belt Conference East Division and Conference Tournament and then defeated Montevallo 84-73 to claim the Southeast Regional title…They're ranked 5^th in the nation…Their 32 wins are the most of any Division II team in the country…They've won 14 straight and 27 of their last 28…Ronald Zimmerman ranks second in the nation in made 3-pointers with 135 and he shoots 44.7 percent beyond the arc…Alvin Brown leads the nation in blocked shots with 135…The Pacers lead the nation in blocked shots per game and defensive 3-point percentage.
 
EVANSVILLE AND THE ELITE EIGHT
The "Elite Eight" started in March 1957 at Evansville's Roberts Stadium as the NCAA College Division Championship. The city of Evansville has hosted this championship 21 times in its 58-year history: First from 1957 to 1976 and again in 2002. The Ford Center will host the Elite Eight this year and next.
 
Basketball Hall of Fame inductees and NBA legends former Los Angeles Lakers head coach and the new president of the New York Knicks Phil Jackson, and former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, played in this Elite Eight right here in Evansville. Sloan won back-to-back championships in 1964 and 1965.

 
2014 NCAA DIVISION II MEN'S ELITE EIGHT® BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
March 26, 27 and 29 • Ford Center • Evansville, Indiana • Host University of Southern Indiana
 
Quarterfinals –Wednesday, March 26 – on NCAA.com
10 a.m. PDT
No. 4 Southern Connecticut State Owls (30-2, #1 East Region seed) vs.
New Haven, Conn. (2nd Elite Eight / 5th NCAA appearance: 6-5)
No. 20 Central Missouri Mules (27-5, #2 Central Region seed) vs.
Warrensburg, Mo. (5th Elite Eight / 22nd NCAA appearance: 33-21 / 1984 NCAA Champions)
 
12:30 p.m. PDT
Tuskegee Golden Tigers (21-11, #8 South Region seed)
Tuskegee, Ala. (1st Elite Eight / 4th NCAA appearance: 4-4)
No. 1 Metro State Roadrunners (31-1, #1 South Central Region seed) vs.
Denver, Colo. (8th Elite Eight / 18th NCAA appearance: 41-15 / 2000 & 2002 NCAA Champion)
 
4 p.m. PDT
No. 8 Drury Panthers (28-3, #1 Midwest Region seed) vs.
Springfield, Mo. (2nd Elite Eight / 9th NCAA appearance: 12-7 / 2013 NCAA Champion)
No. 7 West Liberty Hilltoppers (29-3, #2 Atlantic Region seed)
West Liberty, W. Va. (4th Elite Eight / 6th NCAA appearance: 16-5 / 2013 NCAA Semifinalist)
 
6:30 p.m. PDT
No. 5 USC Aiken Pacers (32-3, #1 Southeast Region seed) vs.
Aiken, S.C. (2nd Elite Eight / 7th NCAA appearance: 10-6)
Chico State Wildcats (25-7, #4 West Region seed)
Chico, Calif. (1st Elite Eight / 11th NCAA appearance: 5 -15)
 
Semifinals – Thursday, March 27 – on CBS Sports Network & NCAA.com
4 p.m. PDT
Southern Conn. St. / Central Mo. winner vs. Tuskegee / Metro St. winner
 
6:30 p.m. PDT
Drury / West Liberty winner vs. USC Aiken / Chico State winner
 
Championship – Saturday, March 29 – on CBS & NCAA.com
12 p.m. PDT