Jared CohenIn the summer after Michael Bibby Jr. and the Shadow Mountain Matadors won the division II state championship, horrible news came down that Bibby had tore his left knee at the beginning of the club season.
He was able to work into shape in a hurry and was back on the floor for the start of the 2014-15 season where he averaged 17 points and just under eight assists per game going into a showdown with national power Findlay Prep in the Meritas Desert Classic on December 13th.
“I honestly was looking forward to that game all year,” Bibby told Sports360AZ. “Because they were a national powerhouse, a good game to get recognized in.”
But the game did not start well for Bibby. In the first quarter, shortly after knocking down a deep three, Bibby went down in obvious pain. He had tore his left knee once again.
“I was very frustrated…I tear it again and it’s upsetting,” Bibby stated. “After I got back to the bench and felt that I had tore it again, it felt the same from when I hurt it before so I was pretty positive it was the same thing.”
Bibby missed the remainder of the season and has been rehabbing and going hard in the weight room working his way back for his senior year at Shadow. The work put in is to build the strength around that knee so that something like this just doesn’t happen again. ‘t is back on the floor competing with his Matador teammates for summer league play and so far so good.
“I rehab three days a week,” he explained. “Like tough rehab. Also going to the gym a lot more, lifting and doing anything with my legs so I can build muscle so I don’t re-tear it again.”
Despite all of this that has gone on with Bibby and his knee, he has developed enough traction that schools at the next level are still keeping a close eye on him and in fact, more offers have come through.
“I got Nevada the other day,” Bibby mentioned. “USC and Memphis have also offered but I am going on visits to Memphis and Kentucky next week. They are just really looking forward to watching me play in July because they haven’t really seen me play in a while so I am looking forward to that also.”
“Just want to show them that my leg is where it needs to be,” he added. “I am pretty much back to where I was before I tore my knee the first time.”
It is crazy to think that Bibby is already going into his senior year. It does not seem like long ago that he and teammate J.J. Rhymes bursted onto the AZ high school hoops scene as freshman and being crowned state champions as sophomores. But there is one year left and Bibby is just looking to make the most of it.
“I am really living it day-by-day and just trying to make it through the summer,” said Bibby. “I am focusing on my knee right now, my health and am just trying to get back fully where I need to be.”
