The Chico State men's basketball team's senior class is small in number this season. But Robert Duncan and Michael Bethea, Jr. loom large in terms of who the Wildcats are.
Duncan and Bethea took different roads to Saturday's Senior Night Ceremony.
Duncan, the reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year and All-America selection, is in his fourth year in the program. The Northern California product (Granite Bay High School) has grown from playing just 29 total minutes as a freshman into one of only two players in program history with career totals eclipsing 1,000 points, 200 assists, and 100 steals.
Duncan has been part of three straight NCAA Championship Tournament teams, back-to-back CCAA Championships, and the program's first NCAA Championship West Regional title. The Wildcats are 87-29 with him in the fold.
Bethea, a native of Staten Island, New York, is playing for his third team in the past four seasons. He transferred from Ohlone Community College to Grambling State University, where he started 21 games last season.
But the losing was hard for Bethea to swallow. Over his last two seasons of college basketball, Bethea's teams were a combined 23-32.
He wanted to play for a winning program, and thanks to his friendship with Chico State point guard Jalen McFerren, he got that opportunity at Chico State.
After starting for three straight seasons, Bethea has taken on a bench role at Chico State. But he has still been an important part of the Wildcats' success. In fact, he keyed perhaps the Wildcats' biggest win of the season by torching UC San Diego for 14 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just 25 minutes of action.
Duncan and Bethea are in the same van now–literally. Wednesday night the Wildcats are heading to Turlock to prepare to take on Stanislaus State Thursday. They'll host the Warriors on Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
Bethea and Duncan will be honored prior to Saturday night's game, which is also the Wildcats' regular-season home finale.
Chico State enters this week's play with a record of 18-6, including 11-5 in the CCAA. Though the Wildcats' hopes of winning a third straight conference title have taken a severe blow with three straight losses, their NCAA Championship Tournament hopes are still very much alive.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 5 in the West in the first regional rankings of the season, released Wednesday. Eight teams will represent the West in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
They are also one win away from clinching a home game for the opening round of the Conference Tournament.
Stanislaus State is in the midst of a five-game skid. The Warriors, officially eliminated from postseason contention, are 6-16 overall and 3-12 in the CCAA.
The teams met in a non-conference game early this season and the Wildcats rolled to a 70–49 victory. Isaiah Ellis led the way for Chico State with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Every Chico State basketball game this season will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM. Links to streaming audio, video and live stats are available in the calendar section on the ChicoWildcats.com homepage and on the men's basketball schedule page.
