Kanye Clary Takes Central Role in Penn State Basketball Rebuild
Penn State's 2023-24 men’s basketball roster is a melting pot and microcosm of modern college basketball. The Nittany Lions have 10 newcomers, including nine transfers and one first-year recruit, and five returning players from last year's team. Just three are scholarship players — guards Kanye Clary and Jameel Brown and forward Demetrius Lilley — and they represented some of the most important recruiting jobs coach Mike Rhoades completed.
“I really didn't give them a pitch. It was more that they were gonna be here because it was a good month before the semester ended. It was our job as a staff to spend a lot of time with them and get to know them and have a lot of open communication. We got to spend time with them on the court,” Rhoades said. “Kanye was familiar with how we played. His high school coach went to VCU. He was familiar with some of the guys on our staff and also just the style of play. With Jameel and Meech [Lilley], we just spent time with those guys. Those three guys love Penn State. They had a great freshman year, and they really enjoyed their time here. I think that helped, but then they got to know us.”
After Micah Shrewsberry, who put together the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history last season, left for Notre Dame, members of that class held multiple meetings about what their next steps would be. Some of the their answers were different, as Kebba Njie followed Shrewsberry to the Fighting Irish and Evan Mahaffey returned to his home state to play at Ohio State. The five players are still a tight-knit group, but Clary, Brown and Lilley became even closer through the process and felt that staying was the best decision for each of them.
“Anybody that's returning to a program that needs 10 other spots, there's great opportunity. There's nobody left, right? There was lots of opportunity, lots of playing time. And, no matter what, 18-to-22 year olds that are competitive athletes, if they have opportunity, they want to compete for it,” Rhoades said. “And those guys, from the get-go, they wanted to compete. As we brought guys in, they did a great job of making guys feel welcome here. But those three guys have worked really hard without a doubt.”
AllPennState spoke with the second-year trio at Penn State’s local media day, diving into what made them stay in Happy Valley. First, the story of Kanye Clary.
Kanye Clary: 'It was a no-brainer for me to stay'
Clary played the most of the three as a freshman, carving out a significant backcourt role next to star Jalen Pickett. He averaged 10.4 minutes in 32 games. Clary’s speed with the ball is distinct, a factor Rhoades will try to perfect in what he anticipates will be a faster-paced offense alongside another nationally touted guard in Ace Baldwin Jr.
The Virginia native had a prior relationship with Rhoades, who briefly recruited him in high school. Clary admitted he was disappointed when Shrewsberry left but never wavered in his commitment to Penn State. He never entered the transfer portal and officially announced his return to Penn State less than a month after Rhoades’ hire. Clary was rewarded with a trip to Big Ten Media Days this summer and a clear leadership role as a sophomore.
“It kind of was a bummer because, as somebody who committed to [Shrewsberry] and wanted to play my college career for him, I was looking forward to it,” Clary said. “But once I found out Mike Rhoades was getting the job and his goals and his dreams and his vision for the program, it was a no-brainer for me to stay. Immediately we clicked. We were on the same page.”
Clary mentioned playing two good games this summer during the Lions’ trip to the Bahamas as reason for excitement this season. He tallied 35 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds across the pair of contests, including a 22-point performance in the second exhibition. His drive-and-kick ability will be key, as Rhoades alluded to this week.
“Naturally I think it fits me. Like I said, I'm a fast player. I always play fast and I learned to make decisions while moving fast and analyzing what's going on on the court,” Clary said of Rhoades’ up-tempo style. “I'm a basketball player, so I can play both games. I can play slow-paced, I can play fast-paced. But honestly, I feel it has been a better change going into this year because it fits me more I think.”
How is Clary different than he was a year ago?
“Just my mindset. When I'm on the court, it's just me versus me. Nobody's really making me do something I don't want to do. I don't really feel pressure,” he said. “It’s just basketball, at the end of the day.”
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network.
