Junior forward Trae Taylor is the first player to commit to a new program after all five of the Wildcats’ regular starters entered the transfer portal. Taylor had a breakout season for the Wildcats, averaging 13 points on 73.6% shooting and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Taylor closed the season on a tear, averaging 19.3 ppg in his final seven contests, winning his first Conference Player of the Week Award, notching three double-doubles, and having an enormous conference semi-final performance where he scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
Although Taylor plans to transfer, he had nothing but positive words for his time, impact and memories as a Wildcat.
“I had an amazing time at Chico, and I have friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Taylor said. “Playing here taught me a lot about self-discipline and how important it is to stay consistent in order to succeed.”
The massive output and physical talent of the 6’9”, 220-pound forward have paid off in a Division I scholarship to the University of Montana Grizzlies, who won the Big Sky Tournament and earned a birth into the Big Dance as the 14-seed this past season.
Despite losing to the No. 3-seeded Wisconsin Badgers in the first round, the Grizzlies have consistently been a winning program. They will allow Taylor to showcase his immense talent at the highest level.
“Chico’s always gonna be a big part of my life, but I’ve been putting in a lot of work and am excited to play at the next level and try to perform the best I can.”
Taylor’s transfer is a significant loss for his former team, but simultaneously represents a prime opportunity for Chico and other college basketball programs seeking top-tier or underutilized talent. In 2025, a record 2,320 college basketball players entered the portal. Before the implementation of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in 2021, there were only 967 transfer portal entries; however, that number has skyrocketed since its introduction.
The Wildcats will need to rebuild their core this offseason through the transfer portal or general recruiting while trying to stay at the top of the CCAA food chain next season.
The Orion will continue to update any new information on the story as it unfolds.
J.J. Fain can be reached at [email protected]
