By Matt Reed
THE SF STATE men’s basketball team enjoyed a storybook season that saw the team rack up the most wins for the program since the 1939-40 season. In the process, it earned a spot in the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time in 23 years.
The Gators appeared in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll in all but two weeks of the season, reaching as high as No. 13 and finishing at No. 22. They ended with a 25-6 record, including 13-1 at home.
“We’re super-proud of 25 wins and everything that we accomplished along the way this season,” seventh-year Head Coach Paul Trevor said. “We’ve done great things and when we reflect back on what we’ve accomplished, it’s incredible.”
Trevor reached the 100-win mark in a Feb. 4 win over then-No. 20 Chico State, becoming the fastest coach in program history to do so.
The Gators finished the regular season second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. They made it to the CCAA Tournament Championship, losing to UC San Diego 78-63 on March 4. But they still advanced to the Division II tournament for the first time since 1993-94.
The 71-50 loss to California Baptist in the first round on March 10 marked the only time this season that the Gators had back-to-back losses. SF State was limited to season lows of 50 points and 29.1 percent (16 of 55) shooting from the field. SF State had four players selected to the All-CCAA Team: Junior guard Warren Jackson and senior guard Coley Apsay were named to the First Team, senior center AJ Kahlon was named to the Second Team, and senior guard Nick Calcaterra garnered an honorable mention.