Clickity clack. Clickity clack. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. The wait is over. It is time for the Chico State men's basketball season to drop in at breakneck speed against perennial West Region powers Azusa Pacific and Seattle Pacific this weekend at the Conference Crossover Classic on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona. Euphoria, screams of delight, groans of displeasure, and hands thrown into the air are all right around the corner as the Wildcats experience the ups, downs, twists and turns of a full campaign.
 
With so much on the line in the season's opening weekend, the Wildcats are likely to experience many or all of those emotions right from the start. All four teams competing this weekend are expected to be among those challenging for the region's eight NCAA Championship Tournament berths. Chico State is the preseason favorite to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association title; Seattle Pacific is the unanimous pick to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and ranked 21^st in the nation. Tournament host Cal Poly Pomona is picked to finish third in the CCAA. Azusa Pacific was chosen to finish third in the Pacific West Conference preseason poll. All four teams are ranked among the top seven in the preseason D2SIDA Men's Basketball West Region rankings.
 
All four games will be streamed on the CCAA Network and broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY Radio. Links are available at www.chicowildcats.com. Chico State faces Azusa Pacific Friday at noon and Seattle Pacific Saturday at noon. Cal Poly Pomona will take on Seattle Pacific Friday at 2 p.m. and Azusa Pacific Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Friday's game will mark Chico State's first one that "counts" since the 2019 CCAA Tournament semifinal. The Wildcats were scheduled to face Seattle Pacific in the opening round of the NCAA Championship Tournament before it was cancelled due to COVID-19.
 
While Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona took last season completely off, both Seattle Pacific and Azusa Pacific got some games in. The Falcons finished 10-3 while Azusa Pacific went 5-7.
 
Seattle Pacific (1-1) opened its season last weekend at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, knocking off 20^th-ranked Alabama Huntsville 77-71 before falling to top-ranked Northwest Missouri State 64-59. This weekend will mark the season openers for the other three teams competing.
 
Chico State finished 23-7 in 2019–20 and returns nine letter winners from that squad, including starters Malik Duffy, Isaiah Brooks and Kevin Warren. That season marked the seventh time in the last nine that the Wildcats earned an NCAA Tournament berth. If they hope to make it eight of 10, a good result or two this weekend would certainly help.
 
Know before you go: A message from Cal Poly Pomona Athletics
As a reminder, in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, please complete the University's Guest Health Screener prior to coming to campus (HERE). Cal Poly Pomona also requires that you wear a mask at all times while inside the facility regardless of vaccination status, and reminds spectators to maintain social distancing measures. Please do not attend any events on campus if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or are under quarantine or isolation orders.