Here are 4 things to know about Penn State men’s basketball’s newest commitments
Penn State men’s basketball added two commitments so far this month, with one arriving to help in 2021 and one arriving in 2022.
The Nittany Lions and head coach Micah Shrewsberry brought in transfer forward Greg Lee for this season and earned the commitment of guard Kanye Clary in the 2022 class.
Let’s take a look at four things to know about Clary and Lee, and what their commitments mean to the Nittany Lions.
Clary sets foundation for 2022
While the Nittany Lions have added plenty of help from the transfer portal, they had yet to nab anyone in the 2022 recruiting class until Clary made his decision. His commitment is an important one. The 5-foot-11 point guard utilizes his speed to excel in transition and has the chance to grow as a shooter, where he’s currently solid. He’s primarily a distributor offensively.
More importantly, Clary could get the ball rolling for Penn State in 2022. He’s the first to commit but certainly will not be the last. Guard Jameel Brown was once committed to Shrewsberry when he was the associate head coach at Purdue and is a potential option to join him at Penn State.
The addition of Clary isn’t likely to pressure a player of Brown’s caliber to commit, but it could establish a foundation that will entice other players to join the class.
Lee continues PSU’s string of transfer portal success
Shrewsberry and company have hit the portal hard this offseason and have had a significant amount of success in doing so. Lee is the third addition from the portal and the fourth player who will transfer in with collegiate experience.
The 6-foot-9 forward is the third player to join after scoring at least 10 points per game at another Division I program, along with Jalen Pickett, who averaged 12.9 points per game at Siena, and Jaheam Cornwall, who averaged 14.1 points per game at Gardner-Webb.
Lee averaged 13 points per game last season at Western Michigan and had plenty of success playing forward, where he’ll continue to play at Penn State. The group already with the Nittany Lions, as well as the incoming transfers, were part of the reason he chose the program.
“The good relationship I have with the entire coaching staff, the resources Penn State has for their academics and also I know there is a great group of guys that’s there ready to complete,” Lee told the Centre Daily Times via text.
The addition of Lee will also add leadership and help establish the culture Shrewsberry is implementing.
“Greg is going to be a great addition to our program,” Shrewsberry said in a release. “He will provide a veteran presence and add more experience to our front line. His versatility and ability to score the ball in a variety of ways will be really helpful in our system. More importantly, he is a gym rat who will constantly push himself and his teammates to become better.”
Clary could fill important gap at lead guard
Penn State has been without a true lead guard since Tony Carr left for the NBA after the 2017-18, and even Carr’s scoring ability took precedent over his high-level passing. Clary is the type of guard the team has been missing for years. He’s the type of ball handler who makes his teammates better and excels as a passer. He’s a true point guard and will first and foremost look to distribute when he’s on the ball.
That kind of floor general could help a team that struggled to organize itself offensively in recent years.
The team frequently relied on the superior talent of current Cleveland Cavalier Lamar Stevens and the elite shooting of now-Florida Gator Myreon Jones to score in the half court. Adding a legitimate point guard should help create open looks for the other four players on the court.
Nittany Lions establishing offensive philosophy
The additions Penn State made all offseason have pointed to a specific offensive philosophy and no transfer is more indicative of that than Lee. The forward brings versatility to the table because he can score on the interior, make shots and the mid-range, and can extend his shots even further.
“People assume by my percentage that I can’t really shoot the three at a consistent clip,” Lee told the CDT, “but I honestly didn’t shoot or make as many threes that I know I could have because I was very successful inside. But I got something for all that next year.”
Lee’s ability to shoot adds importance because of the role he’s going to play under Shrewsberry. He said he’ll be playing forward this season, but that position is more fluid than a simple designation of playing the four or forward. There’s added freedom to do more, according to Lee, although he’ll do whatever he must to help his team accomplish his ultimate goal: winning and making the NCAA Tournament.
“(With) the position-less type of play-style that Coach (Shrewsberry) wants to play, I will be able to be play my game from the perimeter as well as some 5 and continue to play my game freely,” he said.
“(But) I’m just a hooper, man. Wherever a coach needs me to be on the court, I’m there affecting the game trying to help my team win on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 12:19 PM.
