Clary Loving Early Days As A Dawg
November 14, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Guard off to a strong start in Maroon and White.
STARKVILLE – Only three games into his Mississippi State career, it's already apparent guard Kanye Clary has the tools to be an electric piece for the Bulldogs.
In the blink of an eye, Clary can dash down the court with an electric speed that is incredibly difficult to catch up with. His lightning-quick handles, passing skills and ability to shoot from anywhere on the court makes Clary one of head coach Chris Jans' most dangerous weapons when he steps on the floor.
"He's fast. He's so fast with the ball, he's downhill and he's strong," Jans said of Clary. "He can create for himself and create for others. He's a spark plug and defensively, he keeps getting better. I wouldn't have called him a defensive guy before he got here, but he's jumped into that and understood that brand gets him the minutes he wants to play. He's going to have to play good on both ends and so far, so good."
In State's 80-69 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, Clary recorded 12 points, two assists, two steals and one rebound. Through his first three games in the Maroon and White, after transferring from Penn State in the offseason, Clary has become an important component for the Bulldogs in just a short period of time.
Clary has begun his time as a Bulldog in incredible fashion as the speedy guard is averaging nine points, 3.3 assists and a rebound per game this season for MSU.
The electric atmosphere at Humphrey Coliseum has been fueling the newcomer at his new college hoops home.
"It's a great feeling, and the energy from the fans and everybody in this arena has been great," Clary said following State's dominant 101-66 victory on Friday, Nov. 8 at The Hump.
Coming out of Princess Anne High School and Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia, Clary was ranked by ESPN as a four-star prospect. He collected over 2,000 points and was named as a captain all four years during high school. Clary averaged 25.5 points and 7.2 assists per game during his senior year, which attracted many offers from programs around the country.
After heading to Penn State and not experiencing much playing time with the Nittany Lions in his freshman season, Clary burst onto the scene last year and started in the first 20 games. He ended his sophomore season averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal per game before transferring to MSU.
In Starkville, Clary is teaming up with the likes of Josh Hubbard, Claudell Harris Jr. and others to give the Bulldogs perhaps their greatest offensive potential of the Jans era.
The explosive capability offensively is something Jans has stressed to the team during the offseason and is one aspect State has continued to work hard on honing every day.
"We have a lot of great shooters, and I can't even name everybody we have so many," Clary said. "We can fill it up, and if coach [Jans] says it's a good shot, it's a green light."
Clary is having a great time as a new Bulldog as he lights up the scoreboard, creates for others and locks down on the defensive end. And the best is surely still to come as Clary continues to embrace Starkville while the Dawg faithful embrace him right back.
"Man, it's been amazing," Clary said. "[The fans] knew my name before I even stepped on campus…I love playing here."
