It has been a challenging month, relatively speaking, for the Chico State men's basketball team. After three postponed games and numerous missed practices, the young and inexperienced Wildcats were thrown into the deep end of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play.
They didn't exactly sink, showing some positive signs in losses at 10
th-ranked UC San Diego and San Francisco State (which features the nation's fifth-ranked scoring defense). They didn't exactly swim either.
After a seven-year stretch that featured six NCAA Championship Tournament berths, three conference titles, two NCAA Tournament West Regional titles, and an average of 23 victories per season, it's safe to guess that none of their CCAA opponents are about to start feeling sorry for the Wildcats. Not Stanislaus State, which the Wildcats welcome into Acker Gym for their first home game of the season Thursday night. And not Cal State East Bay, which visits Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m., following the women's games, which will start at 5:30.
All Chico State basketball games are broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to streaming audio, streaming video, and live stats are all available via links on the top-right hand corner of this article, in the calendar section, and on the men's basketball schedule page at
www.chicowildcats.com.
Thursday's game will be the first home game for the Wildcats in 2018-19 and the first opportunity for the home fans to see many of the Wildcats in their new roles. Senior guard Nate Ambrosini and junior center Justin Briggs are the team's only returning starters.
Sophomore point guard Isaiah Brooks is the only other Wildcat to have started each of the team's first two games. Calvin Geraci, Spencer LaShells, Josh Lavergne, and Marvin Timothy have drawn one start apiece. And all of the Wildcats have played in each of the first two games as Head Coach Greg Clink attempts to decide on a rotation on the fly, with no non-conference games in which to tinker.
Sophomore transfer Kevin Warren and redshirt freshman Joshua Curls will be making their home debuts.
Stanislaus State, 1-2 in the CCAA, is off to a 4-3 start overall. The Warriors lost to Sonoma State in overtime and beat Cal Poly Pomona in overtime last week at home.
Cal State East Bay is off to its best start since joining the CCAA at 7-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Pioneers survived a last-second shot to beat Cal State LA 70-69 Saturday in Hayward.
