WITH the year progressing, the National Collegiate Athlete Association (NCAA) basketball tournaments for men and women are just over a month away.

Plenty of players will be looking to make their mark, with the league well-known as one of the biggest platforms for showcasing talent in the world. Typically, the league is made up of players who have been born and bred in the system and in the United States, but there are some international imports who have impressed scouts enough to make the move overseas. With the Australian basketball system as strong as ever, the number of Aussies in the NCAA system is growing on a yearly basis, and taking full advantage of this is Chloe Bibby.

A Horsham native, Bibby worked her way up the basketball chain in the ladder, signing a professional contract at the age of 15. She joined the Dandenong Rangers in the WNBL, and despite her young age, demonstrated her consistency throughout her time on the team.

She played with the Rangers for three consecutive years, gradually improving as time went on, but still with plenty of development to come, given she was just 19 years old at the end of her last year with the team.

Bibby was able to make the next step in her basketball career that has eluded so many that came before her, by signing with an NCAA team in the United States. She headed to a small Mississippi town called Starkville, which was the home town of the Bulldogs. Bibby played 88 games for this team over three impressive seasons that showed serious signs of growth and potential.

Despite a slow-ish start in her first season where she was still finding her feet in the vastly different level of basketball. Limited minutes saw minimal opportunity, but she did enough to show her coaches she was worthy of more court time.

This came into effect in her second season, where she averaged 11.9 points as she established herself as a prominent offensive threat. She increased her range to become a reliable three-point shooter and was able to create space to make her own shot.

Following her third season with the Bulldogs, the season was cut short and she made the call to enter the transfer pool, and received an offer from Maryland (among other clubs). She headed out to D.C and enjoyed a career-best season, averaging 13.2 points and six rebounds per game, cementing her place as one of the centerpieces of the team.

She will return to Maryland this upcoming season, as the side competes in the Big Ten Conference.

At just 23 years of age, Bibby still has plenty left to give, and with her offensive game incredibly well-rounded, she should be heading for another head-turning season.