CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – When Clarksville High senior guard and ESPN top 15 recruit Imari Berry committed to play for the Clemson Tigers, Clemson head coach Amanda Butler described the moment as an elating experience.
“Recruiting is a wild ride,” Butler told Clarksville Now. “You build relationships, and when recruiting high school kids, it’s a little bit different compared to recruiting through the (transfer) portal. With Imari, it’s years of getting to know her, understanding her and watching her.
“So, it’s such a fulfilling feeling when you’ve spent that much time really trying to create a connection with a person and then that connection is not just validated by the relationship, but it’s validated by her making a choice to give her college opportunity to your school. It’s an honor, a privilege and very humbling.”
‘She’s really special’
Butler said when her program first began to scout and recruit Berry, they immediately took notice of her “wow” factor. “Whether you’re a college coach or a Tennessee girls’ high school basketball fan, you can watch her play for just two minutes of a game and know she’s really special.”
She said Berry’s ability to create her own shots, see the floor and shoot from range are just a couple of attributes that make her a special talent. She added her competitive nature also sticks out. “She’s very competitive, but she also plays in this very unburdened way, which is a true gift,” Butler said. “Imari just looks like she’s having fun, and I think that it is a blessing to play with that type of freedom.”
In addition to captivating fans with her play, Butler said what’s really captivating about Berry is her heart, spirit and the type of person she is. “I think that’s where we really found true alignment,” Butler said.
‘The sky is the limit’
Butler said as Berry enters college as a highly talented and recognizable freshman, she wants to see the recruit not only become one of the best players in the class of 2024, but one of the best in the country. “A lot of that has to do with her realizing just how good she can be in terms of a having a complete full game,” Butler said. “She has tremendous potential with her length, her feel, the way she anticipates with her instincts.”
Butler added to her comments by saying when Berry begins Clemson’s strength and conditioning program, it will impact her body and power, which will in turn allow her to absorb contact and finish through it at the next level.
“I hate to use all the cliches, but really the sky is the limit for her,” Butler said.