After putting in hard work during the offseason, Chico State Men’s Basketball looks to start the season this weekend as favorites to win their conference.

After coming up short in the California Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals last year against the San Marcos Cougars, the Wildcats look to make another run for the playoffs this season.

Head Coach Greg Clink, who is returning for his 16th year with Chico State, feels the team has a lot of improvements that will help lead them to a successful season, especially surrounding their defense.

“We’ve got a lot of returning guards that I think are good,” Clink said. “But I think the biggest thing we’ve done with our roster is we’ve added depth at every position.”

The Wildcats have several big returners, including seniors Kelvin Wright Jr. and Joshua Hamilton, as well as seven newcomers.

Among the returners is sophomore Jojo Murphy, who is coming off of a successful season that saw him winning the CCAA Freshman of the Year award. He expressed his excitement for the upcoming season.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment all summer,” Murphy said. “We’ve been counting down these days and all the guys are ready to go.”

After red-shirting his first year, freshman Caden Harris is excited to play with his teammates and win as much as possible and hopes to make a deep run this season.

“Not being able to play for a year, it really taught me a lot about patience,” Harris said.

Harris talked about the team’s strides defensively over the offseason, saying they made lots of improvements that will help them find the best ways to win.

The Wildcats opened up their season this Friday at home, where they took part in a crossover challenge with the CCAA, Pacific West Conference and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 

For information about all Chico State Athletics, visit the Wildcat homepage.

Nathan Chiochios can be reached at [email protected]