Victoria Vivens committed to MSU this week. Top player in the state and a national recruit.
Here is Col. John Talty's story.
Victoria Vivians had in-home visits scheduled with Mississippi State, Louisville and Kentucky this week.
The reigning Clarion-Ledger Miss Basketball also had official visits set up next month to those schools plus Florida.
But rather than waste anyone?s time when deep down she knew what school she wanted to go to, even if it meant missing a few free trips, Vivians canceled the visits and verbally committed to Mississippi State Monday.
The decision to stay in-state is a huge boost for MSU coach Vic Schaefer in his rebuilding efforts. Vivians, a dynamic 6-foot forward, averaged 39.7 points per game last season and is ranked as high as No. 6 in the country by recruiting services.
?I think at the end of the day I think she is a loyal kid and I think she had a great loyalty to her state,? Scott Central coach Chad Harrison said. ?I think she truly feels like she can make a difference.?
How?d Mississippi State keep Vivians in-state? First, the Lady Bulldogs fared a bit better than expected last year and even beat a ranked Georgia team. Next, Schaefer pitched Vivians as the future of the program.
?He basically just told her he wanted her to be the face of the program,? Harrison said. ?He said that she was the difference in taking Mississippi State to another level and that other kids would follow. He never wavered. It was close, but she really believes in the vision that he is trying to sell at Mississippi State.?
Vivians has already scored more than 4,000 points in her career and is a near-lock to topple the state?s career scoring record. She?s guided Scott Central to two state championships, including a remarkable 52-49 victory over New Site this past March.
When she?s on, there might not be a more effective scorer in the country, according to one expert.
?In my eyes, she is one of the elite wing players in that class,? said Dan Olson, owner of Collegiate Girls Report. ?She is a scoring machine with deep range. She is consistent in her game offensively. She just has a gifted ability to score. You don?t see that many kids with that pure ability to be a scoring machine like her.?
