Kenny Fred Chery (born January 24, 1992) is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for Petkim Spor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He competed with State Fair Community College and then Baylor at the collegiate level.
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| No. 2 – Club Joventut Badalona | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Liga ACB |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 24, 1992 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Listed height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Listed weight | 82 kg (181 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) |
| College |
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| NBA draft | 2015: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2016 | Alba Fehérvár |
| 2016–2017 | CB Sevilla |
| 2017–2018 | Gipuzkoa Basket |
| 2018–2019 | Boulazac Basket Dordogne |
| 2019–2020 | Nanterre 92 |
| 2020–2021 | Brescia |
| 2021–2022 | Avtodor |
| 2022 | Herbalife Gran Canaria |
| 2022–2023 | Petkim Spor |
| 2023–present | Joventut Badalona |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early years
editChery was born in Montreal, Quebec to Haitian parents[1][2] in a household where Creole was spoken only, while he learned French in school.[2] Growing up, Chery played hockey but gradually switched to basketball as he participated in basketball leagues as a teenager around Montreal. In the summertime he would annually visit his cousin Peter Jean-Baptiste in Brooklyn, New York where he'd play pick-up games at outdoor basketball courts against talented older players further developing his game early on. It was during these visits Chery began to learn to speak English as well.[2]
High school career
editChery moved to Washington, D.C. as a junior in high school on a scholarship to Archbishop Carroll High School, where he played against some of the best high school teams on the East Coast.[2] Playing under Michael Adams, Chery received some Division I recruiting interest, but schools pulled their scholarships after it became apparent he would not be academically eligible. This was due to some Canadian courses not transferring, so Chery opted for junior college.[3]
National tournament
editIn 2008, Chery participated in the Canadian U17 Boys National Championship where he received MVP honors leading Quebec to a gold medal after going undefeated (5-0), in a tournament where fellow Canadians (and now NBA players) Cory Joseph and Kelly Olynyk participated in.[4]
College career
editChery played two seasons at State Fair Community College in which he became regarded as one of the best junior college players in the country. As a sophomore, he posted 16.4 points and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from behind the arc to help lead the Roadrunners to a 20-10 record. He was named a National Junior College Athletic Association honorable mention all-America. In April 2013, he committed to Baylor, turning down offers from UCLA, Wichita State and Arizona State.[5]
Chery missed some time in January 2014 with a turf toe injury. He had the sixth triple-double in school history with 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a win against Kansas State on February 15. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a junior at Baylor.[3] As a senior, Chery was named to the Second-team All-Big 12.[6] He averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a senior.[7]
Professional career
editAfter going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Chery signed with the Hungarian team Alba Fehérvár.[8] He averaged 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in Hungary. On August 27, 2016 he signed with CB Sevilla of the liga ACB.[7] Chery averaged 9 points, 1.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game for the squad. The following season, he signed with Gipuzkoa Basket.[9] He averaged 14 points per game. On August 4, 2018, Chery signed with Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the French LNB Pro A.[10]
On July 3, 2019, he has signed with Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A.[11] Chery averaged 14 points and 3.5 assists per game. On June 27, 2020, Chery signed with Brescia.[12]
On August 30, 2021, he has signed with the Russian team Avtodor of the VTB United League.[13] He left the team after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14] Cherry averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.
On March 19, 2022, he signed with Herbalife Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB.[15]
On October 23, 2022, he has signed with Petkim Spor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).[16]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Baylor | 37 | 34 | 28.9 | .423 | .325 | .879 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 11.5 |
| 2014–15 | Baylor | 29 | 28 | 32.4 | .381 | .377 | .824 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 11.3 |
| Career | 66 | 62 | 30.4 | .404 | .353 | .858 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 11.4 | |
References
edit- ^ Press, ed. (6 March 2014). "Eh! Canadian duo Heslip, Chery big for Baylor". USA Today. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Werner, John, ed. (28 February 2015). "PG Chery inspired by ex-Bear Carter to come to Baylor". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ a b Prisbell, Eric (March 23, 2014). "Once overlooked, Baylor's Kenny Chery key to NCAA hopes". USA Today. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ 2008 U17 Boys National Championship
- ^ Stubbs, Roman (April 18, 2013). "Former Carroll guard Kenny Chery signs with Baylor". Washington Post. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "Sooners' Hield Leads All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Honors". Big 12 Conference. March 8, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ a b "Chery, base canadiense para completar la plantilla del Betis Energía Plus". Elcorreoweb.es (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "Kenny Chery signs with Hungarian top team Alba Fehervar". Diamondsportsagency.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "Kenny Chery, explosividad para el Gipuzkoa Basket". Marca.com (in Spanish). 5 August 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "Boulazac signs Kenny Chery and Akil Mitchell". Sportando. Retrieved August 5, 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Kenny Chery inks with Nanterre". Sportando. July 3, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- ^ "Kenny Chery signs with Germani Brescia". Sportando. June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ Maggi, Alessandro (August 31, 2021). "Kenny Chery signs with Avtodor". Sportando. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ "Leave or stay: American players in Russia". basketnews.com.
- ^ "Kenny Chery (ex Avtodor) signs at Gran Canaria". Eurobasket. March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ "PETKİM, Cherry'yi açıkladı" (in Turkish). basketfaul. October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.