The 2018 Chico State men's basketball senior class of Jalen McFerren, Corey Silverstrom, and Isaiah Ellis is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished in the history of Wildcats hoops. The trio has helped lead the Wildcats to two conference championships and an NCAA Championship Tournament West Region title. They are the first Chico State trio to reach the 1,000-point plateau in the same season. And they enter this week's games with 86 victories under their belts, having gone 44-9 at home.
 
But there is still quite a bit they would like to get done.
 
The careers of all three will be celebrated Saturday night, which marks the final regular-season home date on the calendar. But one of the most important (if not the most important) home weekends of their careers starts Thursday.
 
UC San Diego visits Thursday night and Cal State San Marcos Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at approximately 7:30. And the list of what the Wildcats will be playing for is substantial.
 
After earning six straight NCAA Championship Tournament berths, the Wildcats are in danger of seeing that streak come to an end. Chico State is not among the 10 ranked squads in Wednesday's first NCAA West Region rankings despite a solid record of 16-6.
 
Chico State is also after its fourth CCAA title in seven seasons, and third in the last four. The Wildcats, 13-5 in conference play, enter this week's action in a three-way tie for second place. The other two teams are this week's opponents—Cal State San Marcos and UC San Diego. Cal Poly Pomona leads the conference standings by a game at 15-4.
 
In the regional rankings and conference standings, it has been the Wildcats' lack of success against top teams that has cost them. They are just 1-4 against teams among the NCAA West Region's top 10, and 1-3 against the other top three teams in the conference.
 
But the Wildcats have a chance to change both of those narratives this weekend. UC San Diego (16-8 overall) is ranked No. 5 in the West, while Cal State San Marcos (18-6) is No. 8.
 
At the end of the season, the champions of the CCAA, Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and Pacific West Conference postseason tournaments will earn automatic qualification into the NCAA Championship Tournament, leaving five more "at-large" berths to be doled out by the committee.
 
Ellis, McFerren, and Silverstrom know all about the NCAA Tournament. The trio combined for 47 second-half points as the Wildcats came from six points down to beat UC San Diego for the Regional Championship and Elite Eight berth last season in La Jolla.
 
Ellis, the MVP of the NCAA West Regional, ranks among Chico State's all-time top 10 in points, rebounds, blocked shots, steals, and made free throws. He will graduate this spring with a degree in sociology and plans to pursue a professional basketball career.
 
McFerren is the lone player in Chico State men's basketball history with career totals of more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, and 100 steals. He is the program's all-time leader in career free throw percentage and ranks third in made 3-pointers. He also ranks sixth in steals, seventh in assists, 12^th in rebounds, and 18^th in scoring. McFerren will also graduate this spring with a degree in marketing and already has a job waiting for him.
 
Silverstrom, also an All-West Region Tournament selection after scoring 19 second-half points in the title game, leads the 2017-18 Wildcats in scoring, assists, and free throw percentage. He enters the weekend ranked 11^th in school history in scoring and steals, 12^th in assists, and fifth in made 3-pointers. He will graduate this spring with a degree in communication studies and minor in criminal justice and plans to pursue a professional basketball career.
 
Both games will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to the online radio broadcasts, stats, and the video streams are available on the top-left corner of this advance, in the calendar section of the homepage, and on the men's basketball schedule page.