Tipping off: Chico State men’s basketball team looks to continue success

First-year forward Marvin Timothy blocks a jump shot during a Chico State men's basketball scrimmage earlier this season. Photo credit: Ryan Pressey

What happens when a team spends hours upon hours together at practice, on bus rides and in their free time? They turn into more than just a team, they turn into a family. That’s exactly what the Chico State Men’s basketball team has done.

“If we ever need anything, we go to one another,” said sophomore guard Jalen McFerren. “It can be school or family, there’s nothing you can’t say to them. It’s probably the best chemistry I’ve ever had on a team.”

The team is looking to carry over its success from last season where they finished 22-8. The ‘Cats captured their second California Collegiate Athletic Association title in four years, along with their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance.

“I feel good about us, I think we can be great,” said sophomore Corey Silverstrom about the upcoming season. “We all have the same goal and I think we really can go far.”

Top Returners– The ‘Cats will have their top scorer (13.9 per game) and assist leader (2.3 per game), junior guard Robert Duncanback, from last season back for Chico State. Duncan was named the First Team All-CCAA and Second team All-West Region in his break out season with Chico State last season.

They will also have a presence in the paint with senior forward Tanner Giddings. The 6’10” transfer from Fresno State was named the second All-CCAA team last year, averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 rebounds a contest.

The team will need Duncan and Giddings, along with others, to step into bigger roles that were left behind by an experienced group of seniors who helped lead the team to four straight NCAA Tournaments.

“We go through it every year,” said head coach Greg Clink. “We graduate great players, but we also have great players that step into bigger roles that are left behind.”

Top Newcomers– The Wildcats will look to sophomore guards Corey Silverstrom and Jalen McFerren to increase their playing time from their limited minutes last season. Both Silverstrom and McFerren exploded in their first collegiate start against Montana State Billings on Nov. 13.

Silverstrom led the time with 23 points, making six of eight shots from three-point range. McFerren was second on the team, with 19 points and flirted with a triple double.

“I’m excited to be the floor leader,” McFerren said. “I’ve trained for it, and I’m ready.”

Big Games– The team started their season on one of the biggest stages in college basketball in a scrimmage against D1 University of Arizona. The game was televised on the Pac-12 Network where the ‘Cats received a lot of praise from the Pac-12 analysts. The Wildcats played tough against the University of Arizona Wildcats with Robert Duncan throwing down a nasty dunk that went viral on Twitter across the nation.

When it comes to the regular season, every game is just as important as the next, Clink said.

Come January 7 and 9 however, they play two tough back-to-back games against Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona on the road, traveling 11 and a half hours between games. Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona finished right on their heels in the CCAA standings last season.

The team will use that 11 and a half hours to build their bond even stronger than it already is.

“We’re all best friends on and off the court, there’s not one guy you don’t get along with,” Silverstrom said. “Our chemistry is amazing.”

2014 Stats

Points per game…….. 68.6

Field goal pct……… .472

3-point FG pct……… .352

Rebounds per game…… 35.2

Assists per game……. 12.1

Steals per game…….. 6.8

Blocks per game…….. 3.1

Leaders (players in bold no longer on the team)

PPG: