There’s something to be said for experience when it comes to playing in te state tournament, and that’s exactly what Walker coach Anthony Schiro is relying on heading into the Division I non-select semifinals.
“It’s unique every year, and it’s always a little different …,” Schiro said, noting players were showing up to practice after taking the ACT Tuesday. “The experience of being there, these guys know when they get in the gym, it’s time to lock in and get focused and they’ve got a job to do. From having the experience of being there, knowing what it takes to win, coming up short – we’ve done a little of everything -- but my players, they get it. They’re ready. They’re focused in at practice.”
No. 4 Walker, making its sixth straight state tournament appearance, meets No. 1 New Iberia in the semifinals Thursday at 8 p.m. at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
Walker’s experience starts with its starting five – Warren Young Jr., Ja’Cory Thomas, Kedric Brown, Brandon Bardales, and Mekhi Varnado – all of whom are seniors.
“They know what’s at stake,” Schiro said. “You can just see the difference at this point from maybe their sophomore to their freshman year … just the hunger, the determination. They’re obviously happy to be back at the state tournament. Any time you get there, you’re fortunate. They’re happy about that. We’re excited about the win the other night (over Ouachita Parish in the quarterfinals). We celebrated it, but it didn’t take long for them to get back focused on the job at hand. That just comes from being older. It comes from being seniors, comes from having experience of being there before.”
Schiro said the team’s practices aren’t grueling at this point in the season, lasting roughly an hour and fifteen minutes.
“They’re locked in on that hour and fifteen minutes because they know we’re going to get everything done in that amount of time and be ready to play at this point,” Schiro said.
The Wildcats are also practicing at their own gym in preparation for Thursday’s game instead of going to a bigger venue in an effort to get accustomed to the court environment they’ll encounter at Burton Coliseum.
“With these guys, we’re relying on past experience, plus with our court and our gym … we’ve got the college-size court, and we have the same type of goals that they have at Burton ….,” Schiro said. “It’s what we shoot on every day. It’s the same type of standards. We’ve got the big court. Obviously, the spatial awareness and stuff will be a little bit of a factor, but we’ve played in arenas with this group, and they know what to expect.”
New Iberia is coming off a 56-44 win over No. 8 Northshore, and Schiro said the opponent is similar to Ouachita Parish, a team the Wildcats scored a 74-63 win over, pulling away midway through the third quarter of a close game.
“They have good guard play,” Schiro said. “They’ve got some guards that can shoot it. They’re quick. They have an athletic post player with some skill. It’s going to be a tough battle. It’s going to be a battle all night long. They’re a No. 1 seed for a reason. They’ve won a lot of games this year. They’re a well-rounded team.”
Schiro is hoping the win over Ouachita Parish helps his team heading into the semifinals.
“They were a legitimate contender to win the state championship,” he said. “They had the pieces, so playing a team like that and coming out with a win, that tells you you’re battle-tested and you’ve got some experience and you know what to expect with the next team, who is a similar style team. It’s just a matter of getting out there … and playing to our strengths and doing what we do best.”
In the quarterfinal win, four players scored in double figures, something Schiro is hoping the Wildcats can duplicate in the semis.
“That’s when we’re at our best,” Schiro said of having multiple double-digit scorers. “That’s what it’s going to take again is sharing the basketball, moving the basketball, having two or three guys step up and make plays, and then just being real solid defensively and trying to get the pace where we like it.”
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