Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
4 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he extensive roster overhaul that followed Mike Rhoades' arrival in late March as Penn State's new head coach has reshaped the team's out- look heading into the 2023-24 season. The Nittany Lions were headed for a rebuild no matter what, with their top five scorers from last season all exit- ing. But Micah Shrewsberry's departure for Notre Dame added to the tumult, prompting a series of transfers, as well as the defection of the team's entire 2023 recruiting class. What's left is a 15-man roster that fea- tures three returning scholarship play- ers, nine transfers, a couple of walk-ons and one true freshman. Here's a look at four players who are expected to have big roles in Penn State's fortunes this coming season: Kanye Clary | G | So. Clary reacted to Penn State's coaching change with an open mind. The 5-foot- 11, 192-pound guard said doing so al- lowed for some perspective on the situ- ation. Coming off a freshman season in which he saw action in all 32 games, Clary felt the path forward was clear. The Virginia Beach, Va., native needed to find the right fit for his skill set, and he needed to know whether Rhoades and his staff were going to provide it. "I just tried to look at it as a positive and see what the new coaches could of- fer," Clary said. "I weighed my options to see how they wanted me to fit in with their team and what they thought of me. And I got some good reviews, so that's what led me to stay." Penn State is thrilled that he did. Announcing his decision on April 13, Clary became the third player to publicly commit to the program. His return came a few days after two of Rhoades' former guards at Virginia Commonwealth — se- nior Ace Baldwin and junior Nick Kern Jr. — revealed that they would be trans- ferring to PSU. Those additions, coupled with the return of Clary, the team's top returning scorer at 3.7 points per game, served as a major boost to Rhoades' re- construction efforts. Described by his new coach as having leadership qualities and a "super com- petitive" attitude, Clary is viewed as the kind of player that Penn State can build around on and off the court. "I think he and Ace, the way they can push the ball and create tempo, the way they can guard [will be important]," Rhoades said. "And we'll play them both MEN'S BASKETBALL SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW These four players expect to have key roles on a Nittany Lion roster that has been largely rebuilt ahead of the 2023-24 season NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M One of three scholarship returnees for the Nittany Lions, guard Kanye Clary averaged 3.7 points per game during a fresh- man season in which his minutes increased substantially late in the year. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL