The race for the California Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball championship and eight CCAA Tournament berths begins this week as all 13 conference teams kick off conference play. That includes Chico State, which hosts Stanislaus State Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and Cal State East Bay Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., as it attempts to continue its strong start after missing the postseason for the first time since the 2008-09 season last year.
 
Chico State women's basketball games will precede the men, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. All four games will be aired locally on FM 93.9 KPAY. Links to streaming video and audio and live stats are available via links at the top-right corner of this release, on the men's basketball schedule page, and in the calendar section of the homepage.
 
The men's CCAA Championship and tournament race might be as wild as ever this season. Eight of the conference's 13 teams are currently ranked or among those receiving votes in the latest D2SIDA West Regional Poll, and 10 boast winning records through the first two weeks of the season.
 
Chico State is 2-1 and among teams receiving votes in the D2SIDA Poll. Stanislaus State is 3-0 and also among those receiving votes. Cal State East Bay is 3-1 and ranked tied for 10^th in the poll.
 
In the CCAA Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, Cal State East Bay was picked to finish third, Chico State sixth, and Stanislaus State 10^th.
 
The Wildcats lead the conference with a rebounding margin of plus-11.7.
 
Chico State has won eight of its last nine matchups with Stanislaus State, including five in a row at home. The Wildcats beat the Warriors 80-53 in their first meeting as five different Chico State players scored in double figures. Later in the season, in Turlock, they held the Warriors to 47 points in an 11-point win. Malik Duffy led all scorers in that game with 16 points.
 
Cal State East Bay snapped a 14-game losing skid against Chico State with an 80-72 win in Hayward in the second meeting between the teams last season. The Wildcats won their 10^th straight against the Pioneers in Chico, 59-45, in their first meeting of the season.