By Loyd McIntosh
Hoover High School’s Khloe Ford finished her senior season as one of the most successful and highly decorated prep basketball players in Alabama history. The Bluff Park resident recently led the Lady Buccaneers to their sixth consecutive state title and her fourth straight since joining the varsity squad as a freshman.
Ford saved her best for last as she absolutely dazzled throughout the 2025-26 season and the AHSAA playoffs. The 6-3 center averaged close to 20 points per game and led the Lady Bucs to a 35-1 record, including 35 straight wins after opening the season with a loss on the road to Madison Central in Madison, Mississippi.
During the playoffs, Ford kicked it up several notches, scoring 32 points in a 74-46 quarterfinal win over Albertville, and putting up a career performance in the title game with 29 points and 10 rebounds en route to a 61-43 win over Bob Jones.
A four-star recruit and one of the most decorated players in the state, Ford has earned recognition at both the national and state levels throughout her time at Hoover High School. She ranked 94th nationally in the SportsCenter NEXT 100 and is the top-ranked player in Alabama (MaxPreps.com), earning first-team All-State honors in Class 7A.
Ford was also named the Over The Mountain Girls Basketball Player of the Year and previously earned State Tournament MVP honors as a sophomore, cementing her reputation as a dominant force on one of the state’s premier programs.
Now, with her high school career behind her, Ford is getting ready to take the SEC by storm. Highly recruited by several elite universities, Ford chose the University of Missouri and will compete for a starting spot this fall. “Missouri was my first official visit, and when I went, it just felt like home. They set the bar really high for me,” says Ford.
Missouri was also happy to accommodate a more rigorous major than other universities were willing to consider. “I want to major in nursing, which is hard and time-consuming, and a lot of schools really weren’t okay with that. But, they were willing to be flexible around my schedule. They also have a hospital on campus, which is like two blocks away from the gym, so that was also a bonus.”
Ford’s development into a dominant force on the basketball court was anything but typical. Despite always being one of the tallest players on the court growing up, she initially had no interest in basketball, preferring instead to focus on softball. That changed in seventh grade, when a determined middle school coach made sure she showed up for tryouts. “He got a police officer to escort me to basketball tryouts,” Ford says with a laugh. “The next thing I know, my mom shows up with basketball clothes, and the rest is history.”
Early on, Ford admits she really didn’t know what she was doing on the basketball court. Her team’s strategy largely consisted of her teammates passing the ball to Ford, over the heads of opponents, for easy layups. However, by the time she reached Hoover High School, Ford had begun to take the game seriously, and under the guidance of head coach Krystle Johnson, her game took shape. Ford says Johnson has been instrumental in helping her develop into a college-ready scoring threat from anywhere on the court.
Additionally, Ford has grown into a leader during her time at Hoover, a trait she took on herself as she gained experience and confidence. “My coach has encouraged me to start shooting threes if I’m open because, in college, I’m going to have to do that,” Ford says. “Coach didn’t really put that leadership role on me. I kind of put that on myself. I’ve been on varsity for four years, so I know the plays, and I should help everybody.”
Ford’s leadership mindset helped define the Lady Bucs’ unprecedented run. During her four years at Hoover, Ford was a major part of one of the most dominant stretches in state history. Six straight state championships for the program—four with Ford on the floor—is the kind of dominance that creates legends.
Now, the next step is college basketball, where Ford will look to help a Missouri program that went 17-17 in 2025-26, with only four conference wins. Moreover, with a demanding major and the jump to SEC competition ahead, the expectations will only increase, but so far, she isn’t showing any hesitation about taking her game to the next level. “I feel pretty ready,” she says.
