Mike Bibby's son wins state title as sophomore, may be the best of all Bibbys
The next Bibby might be the best Bibby. Say that 10 times fast.
In a long line of basketball greatness, including four NCAA titles and an NBA crown, the Bibbys have carved out a legacy unrivaled by most roundball families, and Phoenix (Ariz.) Shadow Mountain High sophomore Michael Bibby is well on his way to becoming the best point guard of the bunch.
Over the weekend, he amassed 27 points (8-17 FG, 7-15 3P), eight assists and five rebounds in an 83-58 blowout of Flagstaff in Arizona's Division II state title game (h/t MaxPreps). Already in possession of scholarship offers from Memphis and USC, Bibby averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game this season, sinking more than 100 3-pointers in the process (107-285 3P).
Again, this Bibby is only a sophomore.
His father, Mike Bibby, also led Shadow Mountain to a state title -- albeit as a high school senior in 1996 -- before leading Arizona to an NCAA championship as a freshman and playing 14 NBA seasons.
Mike Bibby seems to have a better relationship with his son than he did with his father, Henry Bibby, a three-time NCAA champ himself at UCLA. Upon choosing the Wildcats over playing for his father at USC, Mike Bibby famously told The Orange County Register in 1997, "He is not a part of my life."
While Mike Bibby was thrown out of his son's playoff loss a year ago, he joined the Shadow Mountain staff as an assistant this season. Matadors head coach Jerry Conner had a death in the family and couldn't coach the title game, so Mike's role on the bench became even more significant.
It wasn't all that difficult, though, as Michael Bibby led all scorers in his first state final appearance.
"He seems like he was cooler than me. I asked him before the game, 'Are you nervous?' He said, 'No,'" Mike Bibby told The Arizona Republic's prep guru Richard Obert. "I got nervous all the way until I stopped playing. I don't know if he likes the big game or what. But he doesn't get nervous."
Shadow Mountain played just one senior in the title game, and 10 of the team's 12 roster spots are filled by freshmen and sophomores. The Matadors may just be a national powerhouse in the making.
