The experience factor

Coaches are fond of saying it's all about the Jimmys and Joes, underscoring the correct assessment that talent is the biggest factor in winning big.

But in college basketball, where the one-and-done trend is imposing a profound effect on the game, experience might be more crucial to the equation than most people think.

Let's take Clemson, for instance. Certainly the Tigers' school-record four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances were fueled in part by talent upgrades orchestrated by Oliver Purnell.

But a bigger contributor, I would contend, was experience. There was tremendous value in bringing guys up through the traditional four-year route, watching them improve and mature and become invested in the program. Cliff Hammonds wasn't among the most talented players in the ACC during his career here, but by his junior and senior years he was someone a lot of other coaches would've wanted on their teams. Same goes for Trevor Booker, K.C. Rivers, James Mays, and of late Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant.

People might have underestimated the talent of this year's team. Stitt looked like one of the best players on the floor at the ACC Tournament, and Grant blossomed into a feared post presence as a senior. Add in some raw talent (Devin Booker), some developing talent (Milton Jennings), some skill (Andre Young and Tanner Smith), and some hard-working overachievers (Bryan Narcisse and Zavier Anderson) and you have a pretty good team.

But I'd submit that the most important element of this team was its experience. There weren't many backcourts in the ACC that had the experience Clemson boasted in Stitt, Young and Smith. Those guys had been through a lot of battles, and that experience can serve as an equalizer against players who have superior talent but haven't yet played in many games.

If you examine the mid-major success stories in this year's NCAA Tournament, the value of experience is illustrated in full color.

Shaka Smart's VCU team starts three seniors (Joe Rodriguez, Jamie Skeen and Ed Nixon) and a junior. All four of those guys started last season.

Richmond starts four seniors, three of whom started last year when the Spiders played in the NCAA Tournament.

San Diego State starts three seniors and two sophomores.

BYU starts two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore.

Of course, BYU has perhaps the best player in college basketball in Jimmer Fredette.

So talent is big, as it always will be.

But experience is pretty important, too -- more important than it ever has been.

LW