“There is no substitute for experience.”
That, of course, is the popular saying we’ve all heard by now that was made famous by author Marilyn L. Rice.
Much of that sentiment in a way has been emblematic of how important senior transfer forward Kavell Bigby-Williams has meant to LSU’s success this season.
While the Tigers have leaned on the senior in various ways on account of his unselfish gritty play and workman’s mentality this year, this young LSU team will be leaning on their big man in another way this week as they prepare for uncharted territory in the NCAA tournament.
This young team has played together and composed well beyond their years this season by coming together under tough circumstances and overcoming just about any distraction imaginable.
LSU is certainly talented and ready for their opportunity, but how do they prepare themselves personally for a sporting event of this magnitude where the unexpected is always to be expected?
That’s where Bigby-Williams comes into play on an LSU basketball roster that features as many as five underclassmen in their regular playing rotation. The senior is currently the only Tiger on this roster that has ever even played in the NCAA tournament.
Not only has Bigby-Williams been to the tournament, but he’s played in the biggest spectacle that many consider to be the pinnacle mark of college basketball immortality in the form of the Final Four, two years ago during his University of Oregon days.
When asked in retrospect of some of the bigger moments he’s been associated with over his college career, the senior still holds his 2017 Final Four run in high regards.
“I would say the Final Four,” Bigby-Williams told the media on Monday. “I mean, I didn’t play a lot in the Final Four but it was just a great experience. Being able to be in that environment and kind of see some stuff. It’s the biggest stage in college basketball.”
Speaking of big environments, this year’s LSU team has played in some pivotal pressured-filled venues this season on the road in the likes of their wild finishes at Missouri, Mississippi State and Kentucky.
While the Tigers have proven on multiple occasions that they are capable of winning on the road and putting even a further exclamation on that point by finishing their Southeastern Conference road schedule with a perfect, unblemished 9-0 mark, their lone tournament experience this year wasn’t as fortunate.
When LSU traveled to Orlando earlier in the season for the Advocare Invitational, things didn’t go quite exactly to plan as they watched a late sizable lead against Florida State evaporate in the waning minutes and were then suffocated by an OK Oklahoma State team in their ensuing game of the tournament.
While this LSU team is junior guard Marlon Taylor level of leaps and bounds better than they were back in November, this style of quick-turnaround formatted tournament play is an obstacle that they will have to overcome this time.
What are some things that LSU’s lone senior big man can say to his teammates so that this week’s games don’t turn out like the Tigers’ earlier season tournament trip to the state of Florida?
“Go out there with the same mindset. You can’t take anything for granted” Bigby-Williams said . “Seeding doesn’t matter in the NCAA tournament. You have to go out there and stay focused like it’s our last game. You’re not guaranteed any more games after this one.”
LSU is currently undefeated when their senior big man records a double-double and the Tigers will most certainly need him to play well if they are to survive and advance, but now more than ever like much of the case it’s been this season, this young team will need Bigby-Williams in a big way.