INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – As the men's basketball regular season concludes Thursday, the NCAA Division II championship committee updated its regional polls Wednesday and Chico State is still in good standing, checking in at No. 6 in the West.
After ranking teams in alphabetical and calling it 'under consideration' last week, the championship committee ranked teams on the second week. The committee will select eight teams from each of the eight regionals to form the NCAA Division II Championships. The selection show will be held Sunday, March 10.
Defending NCAA West Region champions Cal State San Bernardino holds the top spot with a 20-6 in-region record. Montana State Billings, having clinched the GNAC championship, sits at No. 2 with a 16-5 record. Cal State Dominguez Hills, having captured at least a share of the CCAA championship last weekend, is No. 3 in the region at 21-5 followed by Cal State LA at No. 4. Saint Martin's is at No. 5 followed by the Wildcats at No. 6 while Academy of Art and Cal State East Bay round out the top eight in that order. Point Loma and Northwest Nazarene on the outside looking in at No. 9 and 10, respectively.
The Wildcats are heading into the final game of the regular season at 18-7 in the West Region. They picked up notable wins over the conference champions Dominguez Hills and East Bay while taking season conference sweeps over four teams.
Chico State wraps up the regular season Thursday at Cal Poly Humboldt with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff time. The Wildcats will then head to Cal State San Bernardino's Coussoulis Arena to partake the CCAA Tournament. As the No. 4 seed, Chico State will take on No. 5 Cal State East Bay on March 7 at 8 p.m.
The winner of the CCAA Tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid into NCAA Regionals, which will be held March 15-18. The NCAA Elite Eight will take place at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., from March 26-30.
NCAA West Regional Poll (February 28)
1. Cal State San Bernardino (20-6)
2. Montana State Billings (16-5)
3. Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-5)
4. Cal State LA (20-7)
5. Saint Martin's (18-5)
6. Chico State (18-7)
7. Academy of Art (18-7)
8. Cal State East Bay (16-10)
9. Point Loma (18-7)
10. Northwest Nazarene (13-8)
Note: Records are in region
