The Chico State men's basketball team was planning to open its season against some tough competition. That is still going to be the case. The who, where, and when have all changed, however.
 
The Wildcats were set to take on Azusa Pacific and Seattle Pacific at the Mac Martin Invitational before the tragic Camp Fire began the day before. And Saturday's scheduled game at Holy Names was postponed because of poor air quality.
 
Thus, the Wildcats' first game of the season will also be the first California Collegiate Athletic Association game on their schedule, Saturday at UC San Diego at 7:30 p.m.
 
Both games of the doubleheader (the women play at 5:30) can be heard locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to the online audio broadcast, live stats, and a pay-per-view video stream can be found at www.chicowildcats.comin the calendar section of the homepage and on the men's basketball schedule page.
 
UC San Diego, ranked No. 19 in the nation, is off to a 4-1 start with wins against nationally-ranked teams Western Washington and Saint Martin's. They opened CCAA play Tuesday with a 97-63 home win against Cal State San Bernardino. 
 
So, the lack of games and missed practices are clearly not the only challenge a youthful Chico State team—11 combined freshmen and sophomores—faces.
 
"We are young," said Marvin Timothy, one of three seniors found on the team, "but we're young and talented. A lot of those sophomores got experience last year. We have enough experience to be ready."
 
The Wildcats bring in their own sizable expectations into the season, Clink's 11th in charge of the program he directed to West Regional titles in 2014 and 2017 while becoming a fixture in postseason tournaments, both the CCAA's and the NCAA's. 
 
Chico State has won at least 20 games the last five seasons and has racked up victory totals of 25, 19, 25, 22, 22, 26, and 20 in the past seven, a span that stretches well past any single recruiting class.
 
Picked to finish third in the CCAA behind UC San Diego and Cal Poly Pomona by the conference's head coaches in the preseason poll, the Wildcats plan for this season to be like any other in recent memory—a successful one. 
 
Leading the way are the three seniors, Nate Ambrosini, Keith Datu, and Timothy, along with center Justin Briggs, the team's sole junior and a two-time All-CCAA Honorable Mention recipient. Ambrosini and Briggs are the two returning starters from a team that went 16-6 in the CCAA to finish second in conference behind Pomona while amassing a 20-8 record overall.
 
The 6-foot-9 Briggs is the leading scorer and rebounder among the team's returning players at 8.9 points and 6.5 boards per contest. Ambrosini, a 6-4 guard from Fortuna, started all 28 games last season and averaged 6.1 points per game.
 
Prior to the cancelation of the Mac Martin Invitational, Timothy pointed something out for the youthful Wildcats.
 
"Experience is the best teacher," he said.
 
That certainly still applies.
 
Support Students, Faculty, and Staff Impacted by the Camp Fire
The Wildcat Athletics Family is committed to doing all we can to help spread awareness and help for those directly impacted by the Camp Fire, which struck Butte County on Thursday, November 8. We are reaching out to you asking for help raising money for the Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund, established by the University. 
 
Thanks to our donors' remarkable generosity, the Wildcat Athletics Family has surpassed $5,000 in donations! And yet, we know the needs are substantial. In order to provide even greater relief, which we now know will be necessary, we are setting our sights even higher for the Wildcat Athletics Family Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund. Join us to help our Wildcats Family rise!
 
Give by simply clicking HERE or by texting WildcatsRise74 to 71777.

All donations from individual donors and teams will go to the Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund. Donations to this fund will be distributed to support students, faculty, and staff in need of aid for clothing and household goods, electronics such as phones and laptops, transportation, childcare assistance, temporary housing, school supplies, or meal assistance. 

This terrible disaster will not stop the resolve of our Chico State community. Together, our Wildcats Family will rise.
 
For complete information on the University's response, please visit HERE.