“Big Dave” Thibodeaux had a huge impact on basketball, and athletics in general, in Acadiana through the Louisiana AAU program before his untimely death at age 63 in 2014, so New Iberia Senior High head basketball coach Todd Russ was more than happy to have his team play in the inaugural Big Dave Classic basketball tournament at Northside High in 2015.

The Yellow Jackets will play three games in this year’s edition of the tournament honoring the former AAU coach and radio broadcaster, starting with a 6:30 p.m. game today against Washington-Marion. NISH plays Peabody at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Northwest High at 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the tournament.

“(Former Northside coach) Ross Rix and his dad James coached with Big Dave on the AAU scene for quite some years,” Russ said Wednesday. “They’ve been a huge influence on basketball in the area.”

Russ said the Louisiana AAU program gave opportunities to many small-town basketball players from St. Martin Parish, New Iberia and elsewhere opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have received, including exposure to college coaches and for many the chance to go out of state for the first time in their lives.

The NISH coach, who is from White Castle, recalls playing on some of the early AAU programs from his area against the Louisiana AAU teams in the 1990s. But Thibodeaux’s impact goes beyond basketball, Russ said.

“When you say Big Davie, it’s not just on the AAU scene but it’s athletics in general in Acadiana,” he said. 

“I’m glad they called us to be part of (the tournament).”

The three teams NISH will play in the tournament should give the Yellow Jackets a good early season test, Russ said.

“Whenever you go to a tournament, especially early in the year, you want to see teams you don’t normally see, and get good competition.”

None of the three tournament opponents are on the regular-season schedule. Washington-Marion won the Class 4A title a couple of years ago before moving down to Class 3A, Peabody is a perennial state power and Northwest is from a talent-rich area, the coach said.

“Washington-Marion for us is an opportunity to play a team like that that’s normally a power,” Russ said. “We’ve become accustomed to playing Peabody. Everybody from the tip of the boot to the top knows Peabody and Coach (Charles) Smith. Northwest is one of those 3A teams you don’t normally hear about, but they’ve got a lot of athletes.

“That’s three different styles. I know we’re going to be tested all three nights.”

In addition to Northside, New Iberia and the Yellow Jackets’ three opponents, other teams in the tournament include Union Parish, Ville Platte, Abbeville, Lafayette High, McKinley and Lafayette Christian. Games Thursday and Friday are scheduled to start at 4 p.m., 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45. Saturday games are set to tip off at 1 p.m., 2:15, 3:30, 4:45, 6 p.m. and 7:15.