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Michael Bibby, son of ex-NBA star, waits on more offers after missing time with knee injury

Phoenix Shadow Mountain senior point guard Michael Bibby proved this summer that there are no issues with a knee that kept him out of most of his junior  season.​

But despite averaging about 20 points and six assists, playing  in three national showcases in July, the 6-foot-3 Bibby returned with only offers from Nevada and UC Irvine.

He already had offers from Memphis and Southern California.

Former Shadow Mountain, University of Arizona and NBA point guard Mike Bibby, who coached his son’s club team this summer, said that he is taking his son on an unofficial visit to USC this weekend.

RELATED: Michael Bibby making up for lost junior season in AAU showcases

Mike Bibby said that Georgetown and Michigan both still are showing interest. Gonzaga also has shown interest.

Mike believes that maybe the knee brace Michael wore in the summer showcase games might have scared off colleges.

“I figured more would be coming along,” Mike Bibby said. “I heard a lot were scared of the knee.”

Mike said his son wore the brace more as a security blanket. He doesn’t wear the brace now.

“It was just for confidence,” big Mike said. “He’s been working out with a regular sleeve now. It’s a mind-set. We want to get the coaches to see, it’s not as big a deal as it looks.”

RELATED: Michael Bibby attracting Georgetown, Kentucky interest

Mike said that his son never had any ligament damage.

It was first injured in April 2014, following his All-Arizona sophomore season. Mike said his son tore a meniscus then, but he was held out for five months.

When he returned to start last season, Michael was playing well before tearing the meniscus in the same knee again.

This time, Mike took his son to Los Angeles to have an outpatient procedure, in which “it was snipped like a hang nail,” Mike said. Mike said they were back in the car, driving back to Phoenix the same day.

“I know he had two surgeries but they were minor surgeries,” Mike said. “It was just a meniscus tear. They should have clipped it like a hang nail the first time. We went all about it wrong the first time and had him sit out five months. The second  time, the doctor said it would be five weeks, and he’d be back on the court playing.”

But just to make sure, the elder Bibby let his son warm-up with teammates but not play in the games near the end of the season. Shadow Mountain ended up losing to Gilbert Christian in the Division II semifinals.

Michael went through this spring and summer without any setbacks, and playing  well against top national competition.

Mike said he doesn’t know whether  his son will sign in November or in April.

What’s important,  he said, is finding a school that is the right fit.

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