The road to LSU for Kavell Bigby-Williams has been down many paths, but after finally reaching Baton Rouge, and after sitting out one year, Bigby-Williams is making an impact on the court that has changed the dynamics of the Tigers.
Bigby-Williams has been instrumental in LSU’s 4-0 start to Southeastern Conference play, averaging 10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, and getting double-doubles in each of the last two games against No. 20 Ole Miss and South Carolina.
But before Bigby-Williams was blocking shots and averaging a near double-double in the SEC, his basketball journey started in Beckenham, England, about 20 minutes south of London.
Bigby-Williams attended Harris Academy, where his talent became evident, averaging 20.7 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 6 blocks a game. He then began playing for the youth Great Britain national teams.
Bigby-Williams crossed the pond to begin his collegiate career at Gillette College in Wyoming, where he became the Spalding NJCAA Division I Player of the Year in the 2015-16 season. Being one of the top junior college prospects, Bigby-Williams chose Oregon as his destination, and became just the third British player to make it to the Final Four.
Bigby-Williams saw scarce playing time in his first year at Oregon and Will Wade, who had just been announced as LSU’s new basketball coach, persuaded him to join the Tigers.
“We certainly could have used Kavell [Bigby-Williams] last season in games like these where dominating the glass is so important,” Wade said following LSU’s 88-79 win over Alabama in the SEC opener. “He was huge for us today and hopefully he can keep playing at this level for us.”
That has been a recurring theme this season, as the change in rim protection and physical presence down low from last season to now has changed the complexion of the team.
Last season, Duop Reath and Aaron Epps were the only players over 6-foot-7-inches that had significant playing time, especially following the suspension of Mayan Kiir. Epps was more of an outside threat, leaving Reath to handle all off the duties in the paint.
This season, Bigby-Williams has been an excellent rim protector, averaging 2.2 blocks a game, ranking third in the SEC, an aspect of the game that the Tigers just simply didn’t have last season. The value of a shot-blocker, especially in the SEC, can be vital to a team’s success, and there is no question that he has added another dimension to this team.
“I try to go into every game with the same mindset — to help the team on the defensive side, play hard, and do what I can to help the team win,” Bigby-Williams said. “Some games I may be successful, some games I may not, but I try to go into every game with the same mindset.”