{{short description|Canadian basketball player}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Kenny Chery | image = File:Kenny Chery.jpg | caption = | position = Point guard | height_m = 1.80 | weight_kg = 82 | league = LKL | team = Juventus Utena | number = 0 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|01|24}} | birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada | high_school = Archbishop Carroll<br>(Washington, D.C.) | college = *State Fair CC (2011–2013) *Baylor (2013–2015) | draft_year = 2015 | career_start = 2015 | career_end = | years1 = 2015–2016 | team1 = Alba Fehérvár | years2 = 2016–2017 | team2 = CB Sevilla | years3 = 2017–2018 | team3 = Gipuzkoa Basket | years4 = 2018–2019 | team4 = Boulazac Basket Dordogne | years5 = 2019–2020 | team5 = Nanterre 92 | years6 = 2020–2021 | team6 = Brescia | years7 = 2021–2022 | team7 = Avtodor | years8 = 2022 | team8 = Herbalife Gran Canaria | years9 = 2022–2023 | team9 = Petkim Spor | years10 = 2023 | team10 = Joventut Badalona | years11 = 2024 | team11 = Bàsquet Girona | years12 = 2026–present | team12 = Juventus Utena | highlights = *Second-team All-Big 12 (2015) }} '''Kenny Fred Chery''' (born January 24, 1992) is a Canadian professional basketball player for Juventus Utena of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He competed with State Fair Community College and then Baylor at the collegiate level.
==Early years== Chery was born in Montreal, Quebec to Haitian parents<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2014/03/06/eh-canadian-duo-heslip-chery-big-for-baylor/6125381/ |title=Eh! Canadian duo Heslip, Chery big for Baylor |editor=Press |date=6 March 2014 |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=11 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Werner">{{cite web|url=https://www.wacotrib.com/sports/baylor/mens_basketball/pg-chery-inspired-by-ex-bear-carter-to-come-to/article_fe114cff-265f-5c14-b3e6-2e47540d6cb4.html |title=PG Chery inspired by ex-Bear Carter to come to Baylor |editor=Werner, John |date=28 February 2015 |publisher=Waco Tribune-Herald |accessdate=11 March 2019}}</ref> in a household where Creole was spoken only, while he learned French in school.<ref name="Werner"/> 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.<ref name="Werner"/>
==High school career== Chery 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.<ref name="Werner"/> 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.<ref name=wapost>{{cite news |last1=Prisbell |first1=Eric |title=Once overlooked, Baylor's Kenny Chery key to NCAA hopes |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2014/03/23/college-basketball-tournament-baylor-bears-kenny-chery/6752701/ |accessdate=June 15, 2018 |work=USA Today |date=March 23, 2014}}</ref>
===National tournament=== In 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.<ref>[http://basketball.ca/en/page/2008-u17-boys-national-championship-p149050 2008 U17 Boys National Championship]{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
== College career == Chery 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stubbs |first1=Roman |title=Former Carroll guard Kenny Chery signs with Baylor |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/recruiting-insider/wp/2013/04/18/former-carroll-guard-kenny-chery-signs-with-baylor/ |accessdate=June 15, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=April 18, 2013}}</ref>
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.<ref name=wapost/> As a senior, Chery was named to the Second-team All-Big 12.<ref name=Big12>{{cite web|title=Sooners' Hield Leads All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Honors|url=http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209934691|website=Big 12 Conference|accessdate=May 17, 2015|date=March 8, 2015}}</ref> He averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a senior.<ref name=elcorreo/>
== Professional career == After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Chery signed with the Hungarian team Alba Fehérvár.<ref>{{cite web |website=Diamondsportsagency.com |url=http://www.diamondsportsagency.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=942:kenny-chery-signs-with-hungarian-top-team-alba-fehervar&catid=35:latest-news&Itemid=115 |title=Kenny Chery signs with Hungarian top team Alba Fehervar |accessdate=June 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410135513/http://www.diamondsportsagency.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=942:kenny-chery-signs-with-hungarian-top-team-alba-fehervar&catid=35:latest-news&Itemid=115 |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name=elcorreo>{{cite web|website=Elcorreoweb.es |url=http://elcorreoweb.es/el-decano-deportivo/cb-sevilla/chery-base-canadiense-para-completar-la-plantilla-del-betis-energia-plus-XC2105671 |title=Chery, base canadiense para completar la plantilla del Betis Energía Plus|language=Spanish|accessdate=June 15, 2018}}</ref> Chery averaged 9 points, 1.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game for the squad. The following season, he signed with Gipuzkoa Basket.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenny Chery, explosividad para el Gipuzkoa Basket |url=http://www.marca.com/baloncesto/acb/2017/08/05/5985d32d268e3e28768b456e.html |website=Marca.com |date=5 August 2017 |accessdate=June 15, 2018 |language=Spanish}}</ref> He averaged 14 points per game. On August 4, 2018, Chery signed with Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the French LNB Pro A.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boulazac signs Kenny Chery and Akil Mitchell |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/france/pro-a/284642/boulazac-signs-kenny-chery-and-akil-mitchell.html |website=Sportando |accessdate=August 5, 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
On July 3, 2019, he has signed with Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/kenny-chery-inks-with-nanterre/|title=Kenny Chery inks with Nanterre|date=July 3, 2019|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=August 14, 2019|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814214019/https://sportando.basketball/en/kenny-chery-inks-with-nanterre/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Chery averaged 14 points and 3.5 assists per game. On June 27, 2020, Chery signed with Brescia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kenny Chery signs with Germani Brescia |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/kenny-chery-signs-with-germani-brescia/ |website=Sportando |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |date=June 27, 2020}}</ref>
On August 30, 2021, he has signed with the Russian team Avtodor of the VTB United League.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/kenny-chery-signs-with-avtodor/|title=Kenny Chery signs with Avtodor|last=|first=|date=August 31, 2021|website=|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=August 31, 2021|last1=Maggi |first1=Alessandro }}</ref> He left the team after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://basketnews.com/news-167600-leave-or-stay-american-players-in-russia.html|title=Leave or stay: American players in Russia|website=basketnews.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenny Chery (ex Avtodor) signs at Gran Canaria |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Spain/news/735865/Kenny-Chery-(ex-Avtodor)-signs-at-Gran-Canaria |website=Eurobasket |access-date=March 19, 2022 |date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>
On October 23, 2022, he has signed with Petkim Spor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketfaul.com/haber?haber=103947|title=PETKİM, Cherry'yi açıkladı|last=|first=|date=October 1, 2022|website=|publisher=basketfaul|language=tr|access-date=October 23, 2022}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend|leader=y}}
===College=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 37 || 34 || 28.9 || .423 || .325 || .879 || 2.6 || 4.7 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014–15 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 29 || 28 || 32.4 || .381 || .377 || .824 || 3.1 || 4.1 || 1.4 || 0.0 || 11.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 66 || 62 || 30.4 || .404 || .353 || .858 || 2.8 || 4.4 || 1.1 || 0.0 || 11.4 {{S-end}}
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://baylorbears.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/kenny-chery/535 Baylor Bears bio]}
{{BC Juventus current roster}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chery, Kenny}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Alba Fehérvár players Category:Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni Category:Basketball players from Montreal Category:Pallacanestro Brescia players Category:Baylor Bears men's basketball players Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in France Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in Hungary Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in Italy Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in Russia Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in Spain Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Canadian men's basketball players Category:Canadian sportspeople of Haitian descent Category:Gipuzkoa Basket players Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Category:Lega Basket Serie A players Category:Liga ACB players Category:Nanterre 92 players Category:Petkim Spor players Category:Point guards Category:Real Betis Baloncesto players Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen