Keil Moore saw the potential in Chloe Bibby the first time he saw her play.
As international director of scouting for Prospectsnation.com, a website that covers women’s college basketball recruiting, Moore was in the Czech Republic for the 2014 International Basketball federation (FIBA) Under-17 World Championships. One of the standout players Moore saw at the event was Bibby, a 6-foot-1 forward who was playing for Australia. Moore was struck by Bibby’s “blue-collar feel” as well as her toughness and strength.
Little did he know more than two years later that prospect would find a home with a coach in the United States who values those qualities.
According to multiple media reports, Bibby gave a verbal commitment Wednesday to play basketball for coach Vic Schaefer at Mississippi State. The news was reported by several media outlets, including The Courier, a newspaper that covers the Ballarat region of regional Victoria, Australia.
Victoria, which is abbreviated Vic, is a state in the southeast of Australia. Victoria is Australia’s most densely populated state and its second-most populous state overall.
Bibby averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in seven games for Australia, which finished fifth at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championships.
Moore has been covering women’s basketball recruiting for nine years. At Prospectsnation.com, where he has worked for four years, he handles 90 percent of international recruiting and also covers recruiting in the U.S.
“I think Chloe will be a kid who comes in right away and at least physically will be able to play at that level for the Southeastern Conference,” Moore said. “Her skill set has continued to improve. In the two or three years I have watched her, she gotten a lot better with the ball. She is not really a primary ballhandler, but she can shoot the ball. She has improved vastly as a shooter, and can step in and keep people honest.”
According to The Courier, Bibby re-signed with Dandenong Basketball, one of the largest and most well known sporting organizations in Australia, and the SEABL Rangers in May, after playing as a scoring forward in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) Rangers women’s team. The SEABL is regarded as Australia’s premier winter basketball league.
This past season, Bibby averaged 10.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 25 games. She shot 39.6 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range. In 2015, she averaged 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11 games.
Next week, Bibby will travel to Fiji with the Australian U19 team to play in the Oceania qualifier for next year’s world championships in July.
“I think she is a perfect Vic Schaefer kid,” Moore said. “She is going to be able to play defense and she will be able to stretch the floor and open the floor for those kids who have that one-on-one ability.”
Moore said he has been a fan of Bibby’s because she has a combination of skill and will. He feels her experience playing against professionals all year in Australia will help her come to the U.S. and give her an opportunity to make an immediate impact in Starkville. He said the competition Bibby has played against in Australia is “a step above” Division I women’s college basketball.
“Chloe has been in a situation at least the last three seasons she has been playing against WNBA players and seasoned Australian players, either on the National Team or who have five to seven years of professional experience, in addition to being a part of multiple Australian teams in the summer.”
College coaches can’t comment on recruits until they sign National Letters of Intent. It is unclear when Bibby will sign with MSU, but her addition figures to provide a boost for the Bulldogs’ 2017 recruiting class. On Wednesday, All-Star Girls Report, a national recruiting service, had MSU No. 20 on its list of the top 75 classes for 2017. Connecticut has the top-ranked class.
MSU ‘s class of Jonika Garvin, Myah Taylor, Nyah Tate, and Bre’Amber Scott came in behind Tennessee (second), South Carolina (ninth), Texas A&M (12th), Georgia (13th), Vanderbilt (16th), Kentucky (17th), and Florida (18th).
LSU (21st), Alabama (37th), Missouri (40th), Ole Miss (46th), Auburn (48th), and Arkansas (63rd) rounded out the SEC teams.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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