Having established himself among the most dominant post players in the history of two-year college basketball, Gillette (Wyo.) sophomore Kavell Bigby-Williams was recognized Wednesday as the Spalding® NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Committee.
Averaging a double-double for the season, Bigby-Williams led the Pronghorns to a 35-2 record and a third-place finish at the NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship. The forward finished the year with a 59.2 field goal percentage, leading the team with 16.8 points per game. Ranking second in the nation with 13.6 rebounds per game, Bigby-Williams posted double-figures in rebounds in all but two games and finished with 20 or more four times. The London, England, native was the only player in all three NJCAA divisions to compile over 10 defensive rebounds per game, averaging 10.2 for the year. Bigby-Williams’ scoring and rebounding efforts produced 28 double-doubles during his sophomore campaign.
Despite his exceptional ability to put the ball in the hoop and haul in rebounds, perhaps the greatest attribute for Bigby-Williams is his defensive presence in the paint. Recording double-figures in blocks five times in 2015-16, Bigby-Williams led the NJCAA with 5.9 blocks per game. His labor in all aspects of the game resulted in five triple-double performances on the year.
At the NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship, Bigby-Williams continued his run of dominance and proved to be one of the top players on the court. Gillette’s all-tournament selection averaged 14.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 blocks in four games. Bigby-Williams posted double-double performances in the Pronghorns’ 87-83 quarterfinal upset of top-seeded Trinity Valley (Texas) and the 74-72 win over Ranger (Texas) in the third-place game.
Standing at 6-foot-10 and possessing an elite level of athleticism, Bigby-Williams was one of the most highly sought-after two-year recruits in the country. Receiving offers from a number of the nation’s elite NCAA DI programs, Bigby-Williams announced Sunday that he will continue his collegiate playing career at Oregon next season – joining Chris Boucher, the 2014-15 Spalding® NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.
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Spalding is the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, and America's first baseball company. Spalding is the official basketball of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) as well as the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA, the official baseball of the NJCAA and Little League World Series® and the official volleyball of the King of the Beach® Volleyball Tour. In addition to being the leading producer and marketer of basketballs, baseballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, Spalding produces softballs under the Dudley® brand. The SPALDING® and DUDLEY® trademarks are owned by Russell Brands, LLC. For more information, visit www.spalding.com.
Photos courtesy of Gillette Athletics and Gillette News Record.
Bigby-Williams dubbed Spalding® DI MBB Player of Year
